There All Along
by WandaXmaximoff
Summary: WWE make up artist Charlotte Robinson is resigned to the fact she may never find true love. Can the newly returned Chris Jericho change her perspectives on things? Jericho/OFC -COMPLETE-
1. You can't hurry love

**There All Along**

**Summary: ** WWE make up artist Charlotte Robinson is in search of her dream guy, after being single for four years. Chris Jericho has just returned to the WWE and is coming out of a divorce from his high-school sweetheart. The pair form a friendship, that slowly develops into something more, but as the wrestler also has his daughter Abigail to consider and Charlotte goes from one bad date to another, will it turn into a relationship?

**Rating: **PG-13 for mild swearing, sexual situations, and mild violence.

**Disclaimer:** I do not in any way lay claim to any name or character in the WWE. This is not-for-profit fiction. The only profit received is pure entertainment. Poetic license has been taken with character personas, along with television canon. Original characters of Charlotte Robinson, her family, Abigail Jericho, Paulo Santoro and anyone else you may not recognize from WWE T.V are copyright of wandaXmaximoff, 2007-8.

_**Notes: Personalities presented within are not necessarily those of the characters in real life nor are the views presented within necessarily those of the author.**_Poetic license has been taken with character personas and television canon.

Even though this fic is based on "reality," I have not used wrestlers' real names or history or their families' names or history (which I have subsequently made up). I am highly uncomfortable doing so as wrestlers' personal lives are none of my business. No disrespect meant for those authors who do, simply personal belief on my part. It feels, for instance, as if I'm writing a fic about Orlando Bloom rather than his _Pirates of the Caribbean _character "Will Turner."

I'm well aware that Jericho made his return to the WWE on the November 19th edition of RAW. However, I actually began writing this story about a week before _Cyber Sunday_ 2007, and hoped Jericho would be returning at that PPV. Additionally, when Jericho did return, I chose to keep my original idea as it was, because it worked better with the rest of the plot's subsequent time-line.

Finally, huge thanks go to the wonderful **Disco Inferno 1 (User ID: 339498)** for beta'ing this story, and offering her input through out. I love you to death honey (and thanks for letting me paraphrase your A/N ) Additional thanks go to**IMissPadfoot (User ID: 1133633)** for her input and support almost every night on MSN. I love you to death too babe!

* * *

**Chapter One: You can't hurry love. **

Inside a small, run-down diner, just outside Jackson, Mississippi, two women sat opposite each other, chatting over a mug of coffee each.

One of the women was petite, with crimped brown hair. She had a slender figure, and an attractive face, and was so striking she could have easily found work as a model.

The other was slightly shorter with straight blonde hair, and a curvaceous figure that suggested she cared more about having a good meal than she did about spending hours in the gym. Yet she too was pretty, and had an air of girlish innocence about her.

However, at the moment, neither woman looked their best. Both had disheveled hair, and on their faces lingered the remains of the previous night's make up they'd worn. Their yawns, the dark circles under their eyes and the amount of coffee they were consuming - in addition to their disarrayed appearance - suggested that they were facing the morning after a wild night out.

"Another night, and another worthless date," complained Charlotte, the blonde, as she took another long sip of coffee. "You know, I'm sick of all this stupid dating rubbish. I don't want the hassle any more. I just want to find someone I can cuddle up on the couch with and watch movies. I'm too old to be spending hours listening to cheesy chat-up lines."

The blonde woman pulled her legs up to her chest, and covered them in the baggy grey sweater she was wearing. She brushed her usually perfectly straightened hair from her eyes, and wiped at the day old make up that was still staining her face.

Separated from Charlotte by a plastic diner table, and two steaming mugs of coffee, was WWE diva Maria.

"You're just saying that, Charlie, because last night went badly," insisted the brunette. "You usually enjoy yourself."

"I thought I did; but I'm not too sure any more," sighed the blonde in reply.

"How can you not be enjoying yourself?" questioned the waitress, who came to refill their coffee cups. She looked very much like Charlotte, just younger and as though she at least had had a good night sleep. There was no doubt that the two blondes were sisters. "Besides, you get to hang out with hotties like John Cena. Gimme a piece of his fine ass any day, and I wouldn't be complaining."

Maria and Charlotte laughed, knowing the blonde's younger sister had a massive crush on the former WWE Champion.

"Trust me, Ellie, with a guy like John, it'd only be for the one night, and that's not what I'm after. I've been there and done that --" Charlotte paused, as the other girl seemed shocked. "I didn't mean with Cena - you jackass! I just meant, I've casually dated guys and stuff and I'm bored of it. I'm not getting any younger, and I want something more serious."

"Then why don't you ask CJ to set you up with one of his team mates?" suggested Ellie, sitting down with her sister and the diva. "Most of them are a few years older than you, so maybe they're after something more committed?"

"There's no way I'm dating someone from our brother's football team," insisted Charlotte, with a scowl, as she took a sip of coffee.

"How about someone from work, then? insinuated Maria hopefully. "Maybe someone in the crew? Perhaps, we could ask Candice and Kelly their opinions? Or maybe, we could have a party and invite loads of people from work? That would be a great way to meet some new guys."

"No, Maria, that's just your excuse for a party," teased Charlotte, with a sly grin. "Besides, I already know pretty much everyone at work, and it's not very romantic, is it? I don't want my friends picking dates out for me; I just want to find my Prince Charming."

Ellie and Maria laughed knowingly at the dreamy expression that had just crossed their friend's face. Charlotte often lived in a dream world, where her knight in shining amour was just around the corner.

"Ok, how about Paulo?" offered the younger of the two sisters, but the diva stopped her mid sentence.

"Erm, you do know he's gay, right?" giggled the brunette.

"I didn't mean she should ask Paulo out, stupid," laughed Ellie, swatting Maria playfully on the arm. "But all his friends aren't gay too, ya know! Maybe he knows someone?"

"Will you guys quit it, please?" begged Charlotte angrily. "I know I said I was fed up of the situation, but I didn't mean for you two to whore me out to every guy you've ever spoken to. I was just saying, ok?"

Everyone fell silent, knowing from the blonde's stern look that the subject was now closed for discussion.

Maria and Ellie's faces fell; obviously disappointed at not having a new 'project'. Ever since Charlotte had started working for the WWE as a make up artist four years ago, and had become friends with Maria, Candice and then Kelly, it had become the mission of the quartet to 'fix' things. A few years later when Ellie had graduated high school, and took beauty at University – just like her sister - she had joined Charlotte and the divas, not only on their nights out, but also in their mission to make everything right with their little world.

For the most part it was fun, but sometimes, Charlotte couldn't help feeling her life had turned into the movies _Clueless_ or _Meangirls_, and today was one of those occasions.

* * *

Later, after seeing Maria to the airport, Charlotte enjoyed the remainder of her time off from work. Despite having more fun than ever had before in her life, working for the WWE also meant the blonde had little time at home. She was the senior make up artist for the company, meaning it was Charlotte's duty to be at the televisions shows, pay per views, various photo shoots, and most house shows. 

The majority of the make up artist's time was spent working on the company's flagship brand, Raw, and diva shoots. However, that didn't prevent Charlotte from being called upon to travel up and down the country with the WWE, something she loved, as it allowed her to escape her sleepy hometown, and see parts of the country she otherwise would never have visited.

That evening, Charlotte spent her time catching up on email correspondence from her friends, which involved writing a long message to a girl named Carla Greenfield, who had been the blonde's best friend when she was studying beauty at Mississippi State University. Carla had gone on to work for _America's Next Top Model_, meaning the two companions rarely saw each other any more.

The make up artist always found it fun catching up with Carla, who was ever eager to share gossip about the model-wannabes and know all the backstage goings on in the WWE.

After the blonde had replied to her former confidant's message about some hopeful model who been involved in a drugs scandal, and filled her in on the news of Booker T being released from the wrestling company, she turned to the next message waiting for her.

Charlotte then replied to the email from the WWE's hairstylist, and one of her best friends, Paulo Santoro – who had been unable to join the blonde, her sister and the diva on their recent night out. Filling him in on her, Ellie and Maria's escapades, the make up artist sent the message and returned to her inbox.

She was then a little startled to find her inbox full of registration emails from various online dating agencies, and guessed that Maria had told Candice and Kelly about their conversation that afternoon, and that the divas had taken it upon themselves to 'help'.

Angrily, Charlotte sent text messages to her three friends, reminding them yet again, to keep out of her business.

Maybe finding a boyfriend would soon become a necessity, not only to combat her loneliness, but also to stop the divas interfering.

Sighing, the make up artist flopped onto her bed, and thought how interesting work was going to be when she returned on Sunday, for the pay per view, Cyber Sunday.

No doubt, the arena would be crammed full of wrestlers getting ready for their various matches, and needing a little make up put on, before appearing in front of the television cameras.

Charlotte laughed to herself, thinking how ironic it was that some the guys cared more about their appearance than a lot of the women.

Then there'd be Maria, Candice and Kelly to contend with. No doubt the trio would have already formed 'fool-proof' plans on how to get Charlotte a date, whether the blonde wanted one or not.

Yawning, and thinking about the action packed day she had ahead of her tomorrow, the make up artist, showered, changed into her pyjamas and curled up in bed with her much loved, and frequently re-read copy of her favourite Mills and Boon romance novel.

Sometimes, Charlotte wished her life, specifically her love life, was as easy as the books she read made out. Why couldn't she walk out of her front door, and straight into the arms of her perfect guy? But then again, real life was never that simple, especially not in a small town like the one she lived in.

Folding down the page of the chapter she'd just started, the make up artist switched off her bed-side lamp, and fell into a deep, dream filled sleep, about wild parties and handsome strangers.

Maybe tomorrow would bring the blonde a new prospective on everything?

* * *

Chris Jericho was nervously anticipating his return to the WWE after a few years absence, during which time he'd been working on other projects.

Despite being out of the wrestling business for a number of years, the Canadian was looking forwards to returning to the company, where he'd been the first person to win the Undisputed Championship.

In addition to the stress and excitement of making his return to the WWE, the wrestler had just come out of an amicable divorce from his high school sweetheart, and was now getting use to juggling custody of their only child, an eleven-year-old daughter called Abigail.

Abigail was finally coming round to the idea her parents were no longer together, and that she'd be seeing less of her dad, as he traveled on the road with the WWE.

With his new book having just been released, and various signings to promote its publication, Jericho had little time to settle into his new apartment, before he'd make a grand return at Cyber Sunday, and then spending weeks on the road with the wrestling promotion.

Glad of the distraction, however, the wrestler happily met up with some old friends from the business the day before the pay per view.

During his tenure away from the WWE, Jericho had kept in touch with the likes of Edge, the Hardy brothers and Shawn Michaels. Now that he was due to return to the fold, the guys felt it only appropriate to welcome him back in style, which of course meant a wild night out.

* * *

The night of Cyber Sunday came, and Charlotte milled around the beauty area, as she waited for her first arrival of the night, which would probably be one of the divas taking part in the Halloween costume contest.

Hoping it would be Maria, Candice or Kelly, rather than someone like Beth Phoenix, the make up artist cast a glance over to WWE hairstylist, Paulo.

The flamboyant Latino was chatting away rapidly in Spanish on his cell phone. When the blonde heard the phrase, 'fondo caliente', she couldn't help chuckling to herself.

Shaking her head in disbelief that all Paulo had to talk about on the night of a WWE pay per view was how great some guy's ass looked in tight jeans, she began unpacking her make up kit.

Soon enough, the arena was buzzing, as crew members set up, and wrestlers readied themselves for that night's show.

Various people passed her, needing the make up artist's services for anything from hiding a hickie, to covering the dark circles under their eyes – from one too many nights out that week.

Candice, Maria and Kelly all made an appearance at different stages of the night, in various states of dress, wanting Charlotte to do their make up for them.

The small blonde ECW diva – dressed as a Gangster - was the last of Charlotte's friends to hop onto the make up artist's stool, wanting to hear all the gossip, as her friend worked her magic with the brushes and cosmetics.

"So, how was the date with James?" she asked, raising an eyebrow Charlotte was attempting to highlight in pencil.

"So lousy I'm considering joining a nunnery," the other blonde replied facetiously.

"That bad huh? What was it this time? His shoes didn't match his belt?" teased Kelly, knowing how picky her friend was about guys.

"Worse, he had to interrupt our date to call his mummy," replied Charlotte, with a small laugh.

"He never? What a total loser!" exclaimed the diva, with a titter.

"I know! Apparently, he couldn't decide on a good bottle of wine without her opinion," explained the make up artist, rooting around her case for the blusher pot.

"What did you do?" questioned Kelly eagerly.

"The usual. Text Maria and asked her to phone me saying there was a family emergency, then hit a night club with her and Ellie," responded Charlotte, as though this was a regular occurrence on her dates.

"Awesome," snorted Kelly, as she jumped down from the stool, satisfied her make up was done to perfection.

"Well, you know, I had to escape him, before he turned out to be like Norman Bates or something," reasoned the other blonde playfully.

"So, given any thoughts to those dating agencies we signed you up to?" pressed the diva. "It's worth a shot, you never know, you might meet someone."

"Jeez, y'all are like dogs with a bone," laughed Charlotte. "No, I haven't. But I promise I'll at least take a look."

The make up artist didn't really have any intention of keeping her promise, she just wanted to humour her friends, and keep them off her back for a while. Soon enough, they'd get bored, and find some other 'project' to amuse themselves with. Or so she hoped.

The next person needing Charlotte's services that night wasn't nearly so happy to see the blonde as Kelly had been.

Beth Phoenix sauntered up to the make up artist's stool, a look of smug satisfaction on her face.

"Rough night, last night, piglet?" the 'Glamazon' inquired, as she gazed over Charlotte's appearance. "You look like you've been dragged through a hedge backwards."

"Oh, and nice to see you too, Beth," retorted the make up artist, trying not to let the diva's taunts get to her.

"Well, come on then and make me look even more beautiful than I am. If that's even possible," said Beth, slipping onto the stool.

"A paper bag over your head would help a great deal," muttered Charlotte to herself.

"What was that, piglet?" asked the other blonde, who looked intimidating dressed as a she-devil. "Jealous of something, are we?"

"Of you? Never," the make up artist bit back. "Now, would you kindly shut that trap of yours, and let me do my job."

Beth bristled at the comment, but reminded silent as Charlotte applied her make up, wanting to be away from the blonde as much as the other wanted to be away from her.

Muttering to herself as the 'Glamazon' headed back to the lockerroom, Charlotte's mood didn't improve as Randy Orton approached her.

"Charlotte," the 'Legend Killer' said smoothly, turning on the charm. "Would you do me the pleasure of covering up this damn spot I have on my chin?"

"Orton, I think you're getting confused. That isn't a spot, it's your big head sitting on top of your shoulders," the make up artist good naturedly teased.

"Oh, how your harsh words hurt me," the wrestler replied facetiously, hopping onto the stool. "What's up with you anyway? That time of the month or something?"

"Oh, here we go with the chauvinistic remarks," scoffed the blonde, as she dug out her concealer. "Does your ego and arrogance ever take the night off?"

"No," laughed Orton, as Charlotte dabbed his face with an application sponge. "So, you better get use to it, baby!"

The blonde rolled her eyes, and brushed some setting powder across the wrestler's chin.

"There you go, pretty boy," she said sweetly. "All done."

"Thank you, my lovely," replied Orton jumping off the stool. "Do you and the girls fancy hitting a club with John and some of the guys later? Maybe it'd brighten your mood?"

"Sure, why not?" replied Charlotte happily. "Where are we heading?"

"Don't know yet, I'll speak to John and we'll decide later," answered the 'Legend Killer'. "Meet us in the hotel lobby at about eleven?"

"Alright. I'll let the others know and see you down there," returned the make up artist, as Orton strode off up the corridor.

"Great! Make sure you've got your drinking hat on!" he called back to her, as he looked over his shoulder and winked.

Charlotte shook her head, and flopped onto the stool the wrestler had just vacated. As she played idly with her make up kit, the blonde's stomach growled, indicating it was high time she found some food.

Looking around the deserted corridor, the make up artist assumed the pay per view was well under way, and no one else would be needing her services now.

She made her way down the empty hallways, checking in her purse to make sure she had everything important with her.

Entering the staff lounge, Charlotte was happy to find it unoccupied by anyone else. After buying a kitkat bar and can of coke from the vending machine, she settled down on a chair with her Mills and Boon book.

Reading silently, Charlotte was startled when the lounge doors swung open, and a blond man entered the room. He wasn't someone the make up artist had seen before, but by his appearance she assumed he was a wrestler.

"Sorry," he said, glancing at Charlotte. "I didn't think anyone would be in here."

"It's ok, I'll keep out of your way," replied the blonde woman, not looking up as she turned a page in her book.

"Interesting book?" the unidentified man said, peering over at her, with a slight smirk.

"Oh, it's all they had in the airport shop," the make up artist lied, not wanting to admit to a stranger it was one of her favourites. Reading romance novels always came with a certain stigmata, especially when you were blonde, and people assumed you were nothing more than a bimbo.

The blond male smirked, and kicked his legs up onto the coffee table, running his fingers through his short, spiked hair.

Charlotte glanced around the room, then looked up and asked, "Dressing room too good for you? So you thought you'd slum it with the crew?"

The man laughed, and turned his gaze to the make up artist. "Actually, I'm hiding out, so don't tell anyone you've seen me."

"Couldn't even if I wanted to," replied Charlotte. "Without seeming like an ignorant idiot, excuse me for saying I don't even know who you are."

"Ah," said the man, his eyes lighting up a little. "I'm assuming you didn't work here when I was still employed before, did you?"

"No, I've only been here about four years," confessed the blonde.

"Oh, right. That means you must have started not long before I left," the man commented.

"I guess so," agreed Charlotte. "I was probably still over on Smackdown."

"Well, I'd better introduce myself then," he said, sitting up a little, and looking directly at the make up artist. "I'm Chris Jericho."

"Pleased to meet you Chris. I'm Charlotte Robinson, general creative goddess, more commonly known as a make up artist," she replied with a warm smile.

"Oh, so you're the one responsible for making Mickie James look like a tango doll?" Jericho laughed.

The blonde giggled, and shook her head. "Sadly no. Mickie and the sunbeds did all that themselves. I just tried to do damage control."

Again Jericho laughed, and gave the blonde an amused grin.

"So, what you hiding out from?" Charlotte asked. "I thought you'd be out there tearing down the arena with the rest of them?"

"Unfortunately, no. Seeing as I made my 'big' return tonight, everyone in the company suddenly wants to talk to me. I needed some time out from the millions of questions," answered the wrestler.

"Oh, I see. Well, rest assured, I won't let anyone know you're hiding out in here," she said, with a little nod.

"And in return, I won't tell anyone you secretly love trashy romance novels," Jericho teased.

Charlotte blushed, and tucked her book back into her bag. "You do, and the next time I see you, my scissors may find their way into those pretty locks of yours," she replied facetiously.

"Oh, you do, and I'll be forced to put you in the 'Walls of Jericho'" he shot back, with a cheeky grin.

"Ok, you win, no chopping of the hair," conceded Charlotte, with a grin of her own, before looking down quickly at her watch. "Oh, jeez, look at time. As much as I'd love to stay and chat about how much your hair really does need cutting, I need to go and pack up, the show is almost over."

Jericho gazed at his own watch, and then laughed. "You're just saying that, because you're scared I'm going to put you in a wrestling hold."

Charlotte giggled, and began gathering up her things. "Maybe I am? However, what I'm more scared of, right now, is Paulo cutting off my own hair, if I leave him to clear up on his own again. It was nice talking to you, Chris, but I really gotta dash."

The wrestler smile, and stood up himself. "You've got a point actually, I suppose I better head back out there and face all the well wishers celebrating my return," he said, before turning to look at Charlotte again. "Actually, some of the guys have insisted on dragging me to a club tonight, for 'welcome back' drinks, fancy joining us? You could bring some friends."

The make up artist grinned, and replied asking, "By 'some of the guys', do you mean Randy Orton and John Cena? Because Orton asked me earlier and I said I'd come and bring some of the divas with me."

Jericho laughed and shook his head in amusement, "And who else has Orton asked?"

"Knowing him, half the lockerroom," returned the blonde, with a laugh. "That guy likes to party."

"I noticed. Well lucky for me he asked you then," the wrestler commented with a smile. "At least I know there will be one friendly face there amongst all the sycophants."

"I guess so," mused Charlotte aloud, a slight blush creeping across her cheeks from the wrestler calling her a 'friendly face' and insinuating he wouldn't mind seeing her again later. "Ok, this time, I really must go, before Paulo kills me. I'll see you later Chris."

"Alright, see you later Charlotte," replied Jericho, holding the door open for her.

The make up artist hurried along the corridor back to the hair and make up area, and as she did ran straight into Kelly, Candice and Maria, who were just coming out of the women's lockerroom.

"Hey Charlie," said the blonde diva, running over to her friend, and linking arms with Charlotte. "Cena said we're all hitting a club later, you're coming, right?"

"Yeah, Orton asked me earlier and I said I would," answered the make up artist, as Candice and Maria caught up with them.

"Excellent," said Maria, with a mischievous grin spreading across her face. "Because, I've been thinking, and have come up with an excellent idea. You know its Halloween in three days, right? Well, how about when we got out tonight, we all go in costume?"

Charlotte instantly thought of two perfectly good reasons why they shouldn't wear costumes and voiced them to her friends. "Won't we look a bit stupid, the only ones turning up in costumes? Besides, it's like ten to ten now, where are we going to get any from at this time?"

"Ah-ha," said Candice triumphantly. "I thought you'd say that, and I have the perfect answers. It's Halloween on Wednesday, so I bet a load of people will be dressed in costumes, so we won't look that out of place. We can just borrow some outfits from the costume department. There were loads of spare ones for the contest tonight, so no one will miss them. We can just take what we need for tonight, bring them back dry-cleaned tomorrow, and no one will be any the wiser that we've borrowed them."

The 'Go Daddy girl', Kelly and Maria all looked at their friend expectantly, then the blonde diva said "Come on, Charlie, it will be so much fun."

"Alright then," conceded Charlotte, with a grin of her own. "But only if we talk Paulo into it too."

The three divas giggled and nodded their heads.

"Come on then," urged the make up artist, grabbing her friends and dragging them down the hallway.

They arrived at the beauty area, to discover Paulo had already cleaned everything away.

"And where have you been half the night, Miss Charlotte?" he asked, in mock outrage, dramatically waving his arms all over the place. "I've been left to do all the hard work alone, again."

"I'm sorry, Paulo," apologized the blonde, running over to hug her friend. "I went to the crew lounge, and kinda lost track of time. I promise I'll buy you a drink later, to make up for it, though."

"Ohhh, are we going out then?" asked their hairstylist, excitedly.

Charlotte and the divas grinned, and then explained to Paulo about Cena and Orton's invitation to the night club, and their idea to dress in costumes.

"Awesome! I just saw Bridget putting the costumes back in the store closet, and know exactly what I want to wear," exclaimed the Latino, grabbing the make up artist and divas, and dragging them to where the costumes were kept.

After Charlotte, Paulo and the divas had each selected outfits, they all climbed into the hairstylist's car, and headed back to the hotel. All six of them were buzzing with excitement over their planned night out.

* * *

**Notes: **If anyone is interested in viewing the banners and graphics I've made for this story, then please check out my profile. Thanks! 


	2. Everytime they turn the lights down

**Author's Notes: **This chapter contains lyrics from the Britney Spears song 'Gimme More'. I do not ow the song or it's lyrics, they belong to Britney and her record company Jive.

For the standard disclaimer, please see chapter one.

I'd like to thank **cassymae, IMissPadfoot, littleone999, WWESupernatural102292, Doulykhamsandwich **and** Disco Inferno1** for their great reviews – I really appreciate the support and comments you all gave to the first chapter.

Additionally, I'd like to thank everyone else who has read chapter one and added it to their alerts list. The interest this story has gained from just one chapter is overwhelming, and I'm very flattered y'all like my story so much.

Finally, my eternal gratitude goes to Disco Inferno 1 (User ID: 339498) for beta'ing this story, and to IMissPadfoot (User ID: 1133633) for your input. I love you both very much!

* * *

**Chapter Two: ****Everytime they turn the lights down.**

After quickly returning to their hotel rooms - to shower, change and get ready - Charlotte, the three divas and Paulo all met up in the make up artist's room, before heading on down to the lobby to meet the others.

Answering the door to the first arrival of the evening, the blonde squealed in delight as she saw the Latino standing on the other side.

The hairstylist was wearing a silvery evening dress, which suited his slender frame surprisingly well, and a bright pink feather boa. He'd expertly applied make up to himself, and accosted abscond a sleek black wig from somewhere.

To Charlotte's amazement, he actually made quite an attractive woman.

"Oh my god! You look amazing!" she said, letting him into the room.

"And so do you, Charlie," said Paulo, appraising the make up artist's appearance.

The blonde was dressed as an angel; in white PVC hot pants and matching halter top, opaque tights and thigh high, silver boots. Her hair was styled perfectly straight, and she'd applied shimmering make up. Feathered wings adorned her back, and a silver halo sat on-top of Charlotte's head.

"Thanks," grinned the make up artist, opening the mini bar, and adding, "Help yourself to a drink before we go down."

As Charlotte and Paulo both poured themselves a shot of rum, another knock sounded on the door. The blonde ran to answer it, and this time waiting for her was Candice and Maria.

The brunette divas were both dressed as devils; Candice in an all in one, bright red cat-suit, devil horns on her head, a pointed tail pinned to her ass and a forked wand in her hands. Maria was wearing a deep red mini dress and matching red stilettos, again with a horns on her head, pointed tail attached to the hem of her dress, and clutching a forked wand. They'd both curled their hair slightly, and applied vampish make up that consisted of Kohl lined smoky eyes and blood red lip stick.

"Wow, Paulo! Look at you!" exclaimed Maria as she entered the room.

The hairstylist blushed and giggled, as he downed his shot.

"Tonight is going to be so much fun," commented Candice. "We all look so great!"

Maria, Charlotte and Paulo laughed, and then nodded in agreement.

As the make up artist handed her friends drinks, a final knock on the door came. This time, it was Kelly waiting on the other side, and she too was dressed as an angel.

Her outfit consisted of a tiny mini-skirt, a bikini top, fishnet tights and fluffy, knee high boots, all in white.

She'd curled her blonde hair into tight ringlets, and wore make up, a halo and wings similar to Charlotte's.

"Oh, this is going to be hilarious," said Kelly, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet, and clapping her hands together.

"I know! I can't wait to get down there and see the looks on everyone's faces," agreed the make up artist, pulling out the digital camera she always kept in her suitcase, and setting it on the vanity table. "Ok, the timer is set, all gather on the bed for a photo."

The five friends jumped onto Charlotte's bed, wrapped their arms around each other, and grinned at the camera, just as the little flash went off.

The blonde then jumped up, grabbed the camera and squealed in delight when she saw how the picture had turned out.

"Perfect!" she exclaimed. "Come on then, let's get this party started!"

The others nodded, finished off their drinks, and then the five of them filed out of the room. They made their way to the elevator, and headed down to the ground floor, where everyone else who was going out that night was waiting for them in the lobby.

As the four divas, make up artist and hairstylist approached, cheers and wolf whistles broke out from the group of wrestlers and crew members assembled in the lobby.

Heading straight for the center of the crowd, Charlotte and her friends made a bee-line for Cena and Orton. Just like in High School, the blonde was once again in the midst of the most popular group.

"Wow! Those outfits are really something," commented Cena, as the blonde approached him, and pulled the wrestler into a one armed hug.

"It's all in the name of holiday spirit, Johnny boy," the blonde explained to him, wiggling her wings, so that they fluttered slightly.

As Charlotte released Cena, Orton smirked, and snaked his arms around the make up artist. "Well, I'm not complaining. You look amazing," he complemented, with a grin.

"Thank you," replied Charlotte, without a trace as a blush, looking over the WWE Champion's shoulders for any signs of Jericho.

As the blonde stepped back, she spotted the wrestler chatting to Jeff hardy. He looked up from the Intercontinental Champion, and winked at her.

Charlotte blushed a little, and turned her attention back to the divas, Paulo had already swanned off, and was chatting away in Spanish to Melina. The make up artist had to laugh, from a distance; the two almost looked like sisters.

"So, are we all ready to go?" Orton inquired loudly.

Everyone gathered shouted 'yes' and then, as they broke into little groups of closer friends, everyone exited the hotel and walked the block down to the night club.

True to Candice's earlier suspicion, nearly everyone in the club – aside from the WWE employees, who hadn't had chance to find costumes – were all dressed in outfits for Halloween. There were Playboy bunnies, gangsters, witches, ghosts, vampires and other various characters mingling around the room, enjoying the excited atmosphere of the buzzing club.

The wrestlers and crew members found a collection of available tables situated near to each other, and then groups of friends started buying rounds of drinks for each other.

Paulo returned to the divas and Charlotte, and presented them each with a bright orange cocktail.

"To Halloween," he said, as they all raised their glasses in a toast.

Taking a long sip of the drink that tasted pleasantly of passion fruit and mango, Charlotte scanned the room.

Jeff Hardy was already out on the dance floor, showing off his wild moves. Randy Orton was chatting up some big breasted blonde near the bar, and John Cena was laughing with Johnny Nitro at a near by table.

As she took one last sweeping look around the club, Maria grabbed the make up artist's arm.

"Come dance, Charlie? I love this song," the petite brunette asked excitedly.

"Ok," agreed the blonde, hastily setting her empty glass down besides Cena and Nitro, before taking Maria's hand, and running to the dance floor with her.

The two friends continued holding hands, as they wound their way to the center of the dance floor, where Jeff Hardy was currently amusing on lookers. Charlotte let go of Maria, and wrapped her hands around the Intercontinental Champion's waist, as the diva paired off with Matt Hardy – who had been standing close by, watching his bother in amusement.

As Charlotte and Jeff got into a grove together, and moved to the music, the dance floor started to fill up. Soon Cena, Orton, Kelly and Candice were all dancing besides them too.

One song changed to the next, and each woman swapped partners. This time, the make up artist found Cena snaking his arms around her neck.

"Where did y'all get those outfits anyway?" he asked, as he moved closer to the blonde.

"We 'borrowed' them from work," giggled Charlotte.

"God, you girls are so bad," he teased.

"Na-ha, not me. I'm an angel," replied the blonde facetiously.

"Of course you are," laughed the wrestler, spinning her around.

After half an hour of dancing, a slower song began to play, so the make up artist and three divas took this as their opportunity to visit the restroom and freshen up.

"You and John looked pretty cozy out there," commented Maria, re-applying her red lip stick.

"We're just goofing around. You know it's Ellie who likes him," answered Charlotte with a shrug. "Anyway, it's Randy and Candy you have to watch out for."

All three divas burst out laughing at Charlotte's accidental rhyme and the blonde shook her head.

"Sorry guys, I should be taken out and shot for saying something so lame," she giggled.

After the friends were all satisfied that their appearances were perfect, they headed back out onto the dance floor, grabbing new drinks as they did so.

This time, it was Charlotte who found herself paired with Orton, and he wasted no time in hitting on her.

"You know, that outfit would look great on the floor of my hotel room," his whispered in her ear.

The blonde pushed her palms hard against his chest, and looked at him through slightly narrowed eyes.

"You better be kidding, buster. Or next time you get a black eye, I might not be so helpful," she retorted.

"Oh, how your harsh words hurt me," the wrestler replied, faking mock hurt.

"Try me," Charlotte replied, before turning and sauntering off towards Paulo, who was dancing with Melina.

"God, Orton is such a jerk at times," the blonde seethed, joining to two Latinos.

"I know," agreed Melina. "He hangs out with Johnny and me sometimes, and I get really sick of his sleazy remarks."

As Charlotte continued to dance with Melina and Paulo, she felt someone bump into her.

The make up artist turned to find Beth Phoenix glaring at her.

"You know, piglet, Halloween isn't for another three days?" the 'Glamazon' sneered.

"Oh, get lost, Beth," Charlotte bit back. "I'm just trying to have a good time with my friends."

"And to you, that includes hitting on every guy in the company?" asked Beth, with disdain.

"No, I'm just having fun. Unlike you, I can dance with a guy and not need to sleep with him later that night," retorted the blonde, before turning back to her friends. "I think I'm going to get another drink."

Shoving past the' Glamazon', Charlotte made her way to the nearest bar, and ordered herself a rum and coke.

Sipping the drink, she flopped onto the nearest stool. After she'd been sitting for a few minutes, bopping her head along to the music, someone approached her.

The guy was fairly tall, with short spiky dark hair, and crystal blue eyes. Seeing Charlotte's angel outfit, his mouth hung open.

The blonde rolled her eyes, and turned her head to see Maria kissing some random guy.

"Excuse me?" said the dark-haired male. "Could I buy you a drink?"

The make up artist returned her gaze to the speaker, and saw him grinning stupidly at her. However, in the light of the bar, he actually didn't look half bad.

"Ok," she agreed, and he hopped onto the stool next to her.

After receiving another rum and coke, Charlotte learnt the dark-haired male's name was Mark, and he worked as an accountant. Despite the apparently boring job, Mark was actually quite funny, and kept the blonde entertained telling her tales of his travels in Europe.

They chatted happily about their jobs, and music, over a few more drinks, and then Mark announced that he had to go.

"I'm really sorry to run out on you like this, Charlotte. My friend drove us all here, and he wants to leave soon, as he's got to be up early for work tomorrow morning," explained Mark.

"It's alright," said the blonde with a nod of her head. "I should be finding my friends before they think I've deserted them anyway."

"Ok. Well...erm...I'd really like to see you again. Maybe you want to have dinner with me, one night during the week, when you're free? I have a company car, so driving over to where ever you're at wouldn't be an issue," he asked hopefully.

Charlotte contemplated the offer for a few moments. Mark seemed nice enough, and they'd had fun chatting just now. Deciding she had nothing to lose, the blonde replied.

"Yeah, sure. Do you want to exchange numbers? Then I could call or text you when I'm free, and we could arrange something?" she returned.

"Sounds great," agreed the accountant, pulling out his cell to take the make up artist's number, and giving her his. "Well, it was lovely meeting you, and hopefully I'll see you again soon."

"Yeah, it was nice chatting to you, Mark. I'll give you a call during the week," promised Charlotte.

Then the dark-haired male kissed her on the cheek, and turned to locate his friends.

The blonde ordered herself another drink, and mused about the 'date' she would be going on in a few days time. Maybe this one would turn out better than the last.

Finishing her rum and coke, Charlotte slipped off the stool, and went to find the three divas.

The blonde spotted her friends still in the middle of the dance floor – Maria now guy free – and went to join them.

"I hooked up!" squealed Maria, as Charlotte approached.

"I noticed," laughed the blonde. "So did I actually."

Her friends shot her quizzical looks, so the make up artist explained about Mark, and how they'd arranged to have dinner during the week.

"Awesome!" exclaimed Kelly in delight, after the other blonde had finished her story.

"I guess," shrugged the make up artist. "I'm not going to get myself too excited just yet. I'll wait and see what happens when we go to dinner first."

Maria then jumped into the story – it was obvious she'd been dying to share – about the guy she'd met, and how they had arranged to see each other again after Raw the next night.

"Just be careful he isn't with you just because you're on T.V," warned Charlotte, slightly firmer than she'd intended to. "Remember what happen with Candy and that guy a few months back?"

Candice screwed up her face in disdain, clearly showing her feelings of hatred for the guy who had sweet talked her into a date, only for him to try and score free tickets to Raw once they'd finished their night out.

"It's ok," insisted the petite brunette. "He doesn't even know I work for the WWE. I think with this costume on he didn't recognize me, or he doesn't watch the shows, and I'm not about to enlighten him yet."

Candice, Kelly and Charlotte nodded, giving Maria their unspoken support. One of the greatest things about working for the WWE – aside from getting to travel across the country – were the friendships Charlotte had made. Almost everyone in the wrestling business were so close, that they'd became like a family. The make up artist and three divas were no exception. Candice and Maria had already been best friends – bonding from their time in the diva search contest – when the blonde had arrived a year later. The three women grew close, because of their shared interest in make up, fashion and shopping. Then, when Kelly had joined the company as one of ECW's divas last year, she'd joined the group too. However, the friendship of quartet ran much deeper than a superficial liking for clothes and make up. Candice, Charlotte, Kelly and Maria's relationship was like a sisterhood, where the girls all watched out for each other's best interests. Growing up with a younger sister – whom she was very close to – it was just a natural extension of her personality for Charlotte to form this type of bond with the divas too.

Reaffirming their sisterly bond, the four women brought more drinks, and then hit the dance floor together once more. This time, none of them danced with any of the wrestlers near them, and in stead stayed together, holding onto each other and shrieking in delight at various things that amused them.

To anyone watching, there wasn't another display of such love and closeness, in the whole room. It was like Charlotte, Candice, Maria and Kelly were all a four part extension of the one same wild consciousness.

As more drinks flowed, and one song changed to another, the quartet stayed together on the dance floor, not caring about anyone else around them.

However, finally, the amount of alcohol she'd consumed, tiredness and the aching in her feet got the better of Charlotte.

"I'm going to grab a drink and sit down for a bit," the make up artist announced, before making her way off the dance floor, and over to the bar.

After buying herself another rum and coke, Charlotte scanned the room for an available table, so she could sit down and rest her sore feet. Despite how great the boots looked on her, the blonde was now regretting wearing them, as they were causing her so much pain.

Noticing Jericho sitting alone, with a bottle of beer in his hand and an amused look on his face as he watched Jeff Hardy dance, Charlotte went and joined him.

"Hey, Chris," she said, sitting besides him. "Having a good night?"

"Yeah, I am," replied the wrestler, turning to face the make up artist. "And I can tell you are too. I saw you, and the divas out there dancing. It looked like you were having great fun."

The blonde smiled, and took a sip of her drink. "Yeah, we were. I love my girls, and it's always great to party with them," she replied, happily.

"So, why aren't you still out there, causing trouble?" asked Jericho, with a raised eyebrow.

"Because of these demon boots," informed Charlotte, flicking the leather encasing the top of her thighs. "They're killing me."

The wrestler laughed, as he gazed across at Charlotte's legs in the thigh high, silver boots.

"They do look kind of painful," he agreed.

"All in the name of fashion though," giggled the make up artist.

"Well, it really is some outfit," commented Jericho, allowing his gaze to leave Charlotte's boots, and take in her full appearance.

"We thought, being as its Halloween on Wednesday, that it would be fun to dress up," explained the blonde, with a mischievous grin.

"Well, I've got to admit, you do look great in that costume. You make a very convincing angel," said the wrestler, a grin of his own spreading across his face.

"Thanks," returned Charlotte, blushing slightly at the compliment, before adding, "So, how come you're not out there, showing off your moves on the dance floor?"

"I don't dance, I'm awful," confessed the wrestler, and when Charlotte raised an eyebrow, he added, "Seriously, if I went out there, everyone else would leave."

"Come on, you can't be that bad?" insisted the blonde. "Come and dance with me?"

"No, I can't. I'd only embarrass us both, and then you'd never speak to me again," Jericho protested, with a laugh.

"You can't be any worse than Jeff," remarked Charlotte, nodding her head towards where the Intercontinental Champion was now dancing wildly with Paulo. "Pretty please?"

"Ok, but only because I'm still scared you'll cut off all my hair," conceded the wrestler facetiously.

"I wouldn't really. It's far too pretty like it is," insisted the make up artist, leaning across the table, and curling a lock of the wrestler's hair around her finger.

Jericho's body went ridged momentarily, before he regained his composure, and said, "Come on then if you want me to dance with you. Let's get out there before I change my mind."

Charlotte grinned, nodded and downed the rest of her drink, and then grabbed the wrestler's hand and pulled him to his feet.

Snaking their way across the crowded dance floor, Charlotte and Jericho joined Candice – who was again dancing with Orton, Kelly who was paired with Cena and Maria who had joined Paulo and Jeff.

Slightly awkwardly, the wrestler placed his hands lightly on the make up artist's shoulders, as she allowed her own to curl around his waist.

Compared to the other couples dancing, Charlotte and Jericho looked slightly stiff around each other, and Candice seeing this 'accidentally' bumped into them, nudging the couple closer together.

As they got into the rhythm of the music, the wrestler's arms relaxed around Charlotte's neck, and she tightened her grip around his waist.

"_Everytime they turn the lights down," _blared the lyrics of Britney Spears' new song, as the lights in the night club flashed multi-colored.

Their bodies were now just inches apart, and the make up artist could have sworn her heart beat suddenly increased a little.

"_Just wanna go that extra mile for you," _continued the pop princess' come-back song, and Charlotte felt chills run through her body.

Jericho's hands found their way into Charlotte's blonde locks, and he twirled a strand around his fingers.

"_You got public display of affection_," Spears continued to sing, as the blonde noted the symmetry of the song lyrics, and her current position.

"You hair smells of strawberries," he commented, whispering so close to the make up artist's neck that she caught the tantalizing scent of the cologne he was wearing.

"_Feels like no one else in the room (but you)," _the lyrics hit Charlotte like a jolt of lightning, and she blushed, giggled and shook her blonde tresses, so that they fell over her shoulders and framed her face perfectly.

As Jericho and Charlotte continued to dance together, their bodies slowly moved closer to each other, so that soon, if it hadn't been for the clothing, onlookers would have had a hard time telling where one person ended and the other began.

"_Gimme gimme more. Gimme more. Gimme gimme more. Gimme gimme more_," the blonde sang along with Britney, shaking her hips provocatively.

"Aww, look at those two," Candice whispered to Maria and Kelly, who had all stop dancing with their respective partners to watch the wrestler and make up artist together.

"I know, they make such a cute couple," agreed Maria, with a grin.

As the song ended, Charlotte and Jericho suddenly seemed to realize how closely they'd been dancing together, and almost jumped apart.

"Fancy another drink?" the wrestler suggested, blushing slightly. "Because I think that's about as far as my dancing skills go."

"Yeah, ok," agreed the blonde, casting a glance back over her shoulder to her friends, who all had looks of delighted triumph on their faces.

Shaking her head and rolling her eyes, Charlotte took Jericho's outstretched hand and followed him to the bar.

"What are you drinking?" he asked, as they both took available seats at the bar.

"Rum and coke, please," replied the blonde, happily.

The wrestler smiled, and ordered the drink, as well as another bottle of beer for himself, and then he turned back to Charlotte as the barman placed the beverages in front of them.

"You know, actually, you're not a bad dancer," commented to make up artist, taking a sip of her rum and coke.

"I think that's only because I had you to hold onto," reasoned the wrestler with a grin. "Where did you learn to dance like that, any way?"

"Oh, I was a cheerleader all throughout high school," confessed Charlotte, with a sheepish smile. "So being flexible kind of comes with the territory."

Jericho laughed and then said, "It figures you'd have been a cheerleader. I bet you were Prom and Home Coming Queen too."

The make up artist blushed and nodded her head. "I was actually," she admitted.

"Oh my god," laughed the wrestler. "I can't believe that. I was only joking."

Charlotte giggled, and then said sheepishly, "What? I was popular at school. Besides, I bet you were star quarter back or something."

"Nah, we weren't into football as much in Canada, it was all about ice hokey. I was on the team though, and only gave it up because I loved wrestling more," confessed Jericho. "You know, that means if we'd have gone to high school together, I would have had to ask you to the Prom."

The make up artist laughed, and shook her blonde hair again. "That would have been fun," she commented.

Suddenly, the chatting couple felt a presence behind them, and then a sneering voice said, "You don't give up, do you, piglet? God, poor Jericho has only back with the company for a night and you're already hitting on him."

Charlotte turned in horror to see Beth Phoenix glaring at her.

"Do you never get tired of being a horrible bitch, Beth?" the blonde asked, looking at the diva with disdain.

"Not when you're such an easy target," the other woman replied snidely.

Jericho looked between the two women, then stretched his arms out between them and said, "If you'll excuse us please, Beth, I was having a drink with a friend."

The diva looked shocked at being put in her place and scowled down at the couple. "Just watch yourself piglet. And Chris, I wouldn't let that tramp get her claws in too deeply, you might catch something."

This time, the wrestler's eyes burnt with an angry fire. "Beth, Charlotte is my friend, and as far as I can see, you're nothing but a trash bag ho. When I was with the WWE before, I put skanks like you in their place, so I suggest you leave now, before I have to remove you myself."

This time the diva looked as though she'd just swallowed a wasp, and with one final glare at the couple, she stalked off.

"Sorry about that," apologized Charlotte. "For some reason, ever since Beth came up from OVW, she's had it in for me."

"I wouldn't worry about bitches like her," assured Jericho. "She'll get bored soon enough, and if not I'll put her in the Walls."

The blonde laughed, and then said, "Well, thanks for defending my anyway."

"Not a problem. Like I said to Beth, you're my friend, and I won't have people talking to my friends like that," insisted the wrestler.

"Well, thank you," Charlotte said again, touched by the sentiment.

After the shock of Beth's taunts had died away, the couple remained at the bar chatting happily over more drinks. Charlotte couldn't remember the last time she'd had so much fun – that didn't involve being with the divas or he sister. The blonde found Jericho hilarious, as he told her tales of his tours with his band 'Fozzy'.

"I'd love to hear you sing some time," said the blonde, after one really amusing story, about a how the wrestler had been thrown out of his own gig by an idiotic bouncer.

"And I'd love to see you cheer-leading some day," returned Jericho, facetiously.

"Sadly, I hung up my pom-poms years ago," admitted Charlotte. "I don't think I could even remember half the routines now."

"Well, if you ever fell inclined to practice them again, let me know," teased the wrestler.

As the night wound down, and came to an end, Candice, Maria and Kelly appeared at the bar, looking for Charlotte.

"There you are, Charlie," exclaimed Kelly, sitting besides the make up artist. "We've been looking all over for you, ever since you vanished."

"I've just been here, having a few drinks and chatting with Chris," explained the blonde, as if it were nothing and her friends should have known were she was.

"I see," said Maria, with a grin. "And have you two being having fun?"

The three divas looked between Charlotte and Jericho, as if expecting the couple to announce their whirlwind romance at any second.

"Yeah, we have," replied the wrestler, before the make up artist could speak. "Charlie, here, was just promising to show me one of her cheer leading routines."

"I what? I never said that," insisted Charlotte with a giggle, taken by surprise at the comment, and Jericho's use of her nickname.

"Sure you didn't," teased the wrestler, and all three divas burst out laughing.

After they'd all calmed down, Candice said. "Well, as much as I hate to break up this cute little moment, everyone's leaving now, so if you two want a ride back to the hotel, you'd better hurry up."

Charlotte rolled her eyes at her friend's comment, and then nodded her head. "Yeah, it's getting late, and I'm dying to get out of this ridiculous outfit. As much fun as it was at the start of the night, I'm starting to worry if I don't take it off now, it might become attached to my body."

"That could be quite interesting, considering the present company," Maria whispered to Kelly and Candice, hoping Charlotte and Jericho wouldn't hear her.

The divas dissolved into laughter again, and thankfully the wrestler didn't hear Maria's remark. However, Charlotte had and glared at her friends through narrowed eyes. She gave them all a stern look, that quite clearly said, 'Don't say anything else.'

"Right then," said the make up artist, as if nothing had just happened. "Let's go back to the hotel."

The divas nodded in agreement, and made sure they had all their belongings. Then, Jericho rose from his stool, and offered his hand to Charlotte to help her up.

The blonde took it, and they laced their fingers together. Walking hand in hand, and resuming their earlier conversation about the wrestler's band, Charlotte and Jericho followed the three divas out of the night club.

Waiting outside for them – and helpfully having found a few available cabs – were Orton, Cena, Nitro, Melina and Paulo.

The group of people divided up into three cars each, and Charlotte found herself sitting between Cena and Jericho.

"Had a good night, Charlotte?" asked Cena, as she snuggled down into the leather of the taxi's seat.

"Yes thanks, John," she replied happily. "And you?"

"Yeah, not too bad," answered the wrestler, before turning his attention to Jericho. "How about you, mate, enjoyed your first night back?"

"Yeah, it's been interesting to say the least," the other wrestler replied.

As the cab started its journey back to the hotel, Charlotte shivered. When she'd come out that night – despite her skimpy outfit – she'd been quite warm, and hadn't even considered bringing a jacket. However, now in the early hours of the morning, she was freezing in nothing but hot pants and a halter top.

"Are you cold?" Jericho asked her.

"Uh-huh," replied the blonde, her teeth now chattering.

"Well, that's what you get for wearing little more than underwear," teased Cena, to which Charlotte scowled at him.

"Here, have my jacket," offered Jericho, pulling off the garment he'd not long ago collected from the cloak room.

"Thanks," said the blonde, pulling on the leather jacket, and again smelling the wrestler's cologne.

"All better?" he inquired, placing his arm casually around her shoulder.

"Uh-huh," she said, snuggling deeper into the jacket, and resting her head on Jericho's shoulder.

Cena looked between the two, who despite having only just met a few hours ago, appeared so comfortable in each other's presence, that you'd have thought they'd known each other for years.

Finally, the cab reached the hotel, and everyone began filing out, apart from Jericho and Charlotte. The make up artist had fallen asleep with her head resting lightly on the wrestler's shoulder, the top of her head tucked under his chin.

"Charlie," he whispered gently, lifting her head a little. "We're back at the hotel now."

Charlotte's eyes flickered open, and realizing where she'd fallen asleep, jumped back so quickly that she almost rolled out of the cab.

Jericho instantly stretched out his arms to grab her, and in his haste didn't notice where she'd landed. The make up artist found herself on her hands and knees on the taxi floor, right in between the wrestler's legs.

Wondering where the pair had gotten to, Cena stuck his head inside the car, and finding them in such a compromising position, instantly dissolved into hysterical laugher.

The blonde looked horrified at the way she'd accidentally landed, and quickly jumped to her feet, rushed out of the cab and hurried to find her friends.

Getting half way across the hotel's parking lot, Charlotte realized she was still wearing the wrestler's jacket and hurried back to return it to him.

"I'm sorry," she said, sheepishly, as she handed Jericho his coat. "And sorry if I drooled on your shoulder or something. It's car rides, they always make me sleepy."

"Don't worry about it," assured the wrestler genuinely, as the couple crossed the parking lot together, and made their way inside the hotel.

Looking around the lobby, Charlotte noticed the divas weren't there, and assumed her friends had already headed up to bed.

The wrestler and make up artist stepped into an elevator together, and stood in comfortable silence as it traveled up the floors.

"I had fun tonight," Jericho said, as the lift chimed, and the doors opened on Charlotte's floor.

"Yeah, me too," she replied, turning to him with a warm smile.

"Well, good night, Charlie, and I guess I'll see you at work tomorrow," the wrestler said, looking for a moment like he wanted to say something more.

"Yeah, good night Chris," she replied. "See you tomorrow."

And then with one last quick glance over her shoulder, Charlotte walked up the corridor and to her hotel room.

* * *

**A/N:** Because a little shameless self-promotion never hurt anyone, please feel free to check out my new fan fiction website, the link for which can be found on my profile. Thank, Wanda. 


	3. Making new friends is good

**Author's Notes: **I'd like to thank **Southern Rock Junkie, littleone999, Inday, Cass, LilyBella **and** Disco Inferno1 **for their great reviews – I really appreciate the support and comments you all gave for the second chapter.

Additionally, I'd like to thank everyone who has been visiting my fan-fiction website in the last week! The amount of hits it's gotten in just seven days is overwhelming, and I'm very flattered by the interest y'all are showing!

Finally, my eternal gratitude goes to **Disco Inferno 1 (User ID: 339498) **for beta'ing this story, and to **IMissPadfoot (User ID: 1133633)** for your input. I love you both very much!

* * *

**Chapter Three: ****Making new friends is good. **

The following morning, despite their hangovers, Charlotte, Maria, Candice and Kelly met down in the hotel restaurant for breakfast, before travelling to the airport and catching a flight to the state where Raw was being held that evening.

"I am never drinking again," complained Charlotte, swirling a teaspoon around in her mug of black coffee. An uneaten plate of bacon and eggs lay to her side on the table. The fact that the make up artist hadn't touched her breakfast was testament to how hung-over she really was, because usually the blonde had a huge apatite.

"Yeah, right. You say that now, but wait until we hit a bar tonight after the show, and there'll be no stopping you," insisted Candice, with a cocked eyebrow.

"No, I think I'm going to stay in my hotel room tonight. After last night, I need all the beauty sleep I can get," protested the blonde.

"You're not even going to go out tonight with the hopes of seeing a certain wrestler that just so happened to return last night, and you spent the evening with?" questioned Maria, with a sly grin.

Charlotte looked between her three friends, who all had eager looks on their faces.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she returned blankly, not feeling in the mood for getting into this conversation with her friends.

However, the divas had other ideas, and Kelly replied saying, "Right... so you have no interest in Chris Jericho at all and just spent the whole night with him because you were bored? Ok, Charlie, we believe you, although many others wouldn't."

The three divas all laughed, but then stopped dead at the glare Charlotte gave them.

"For Christ's sake, I only met him last night. We were just hanging out, that's all, and so you can stop planning the wedding, ok?"

The divas giggled, but then dropped the subject, knowing it was best not to mess with the make up artist this early in the morning. In stead, they began discussing the guy Maria had hooked up with in the club the night before.

"I thought he was really sweet," informed Maria in a dreamy voice.

"He still danced like a total goof-ball," insisted Candice, with a grin.

"Well, ok, yeah. But he was a really great kisser," continued the petite diva, staring off into space.

"What do you think, Charlie?" asked Kelly. "Is Maria's new guy a dud or not?"

Charlotte snapped back around to face her friends. For some reason she'd been watching the doors to the restaurant intently for the duration of the conversation.

"What were you saying?" she asked.

"Oh forget it," sighed Kelly. "You were obviously in cloud cuckoo land too, like Maria here."

Candice sniggered, and turned back to her breakfast.

When they'd all finished eating, they then returned to their rooms to pack the remainder of their belongings, and then caught a cab to the airport.

* * *

Charlotte and the divas spent the duration of their wait for the flight in the airport, all sitting drowsily on the terminal's metal chairs. The mayhem and lack of sleep from the last few days was finally caching up with them, and they didn't much fancy chatting or looking around the few shops the airport had to offer. What the four women really wanted to do was get to the hotel and take a nap, before the chaos started again with that night's Raw. 

Listening to her I-Pod, and idly flicking through a copy of _Cosmopolitan_, the blonde bristled as she saw Beth Phoenix approach her. Charlotte really was not in the mood for another run-in with the 'Glamazon'.

"Oh God, look what the cat sicked up," sneered Beth, as she passed the make up artist. "You can tell you had too much to drink last night, and made an ass of yourself."

"Get lost, Beth," returned Kelly, immediately jumping to her friend's defence. "When we want a pointless opinion on something, we'll ask a magic eight ball, ok?"

"You think you're special don't you, Kelly? Just because the losers who watch ECW can't get enough of you, and you've gone and got yourself some fake boobs, you think you're Queen Bee around here. Well let me tell you this, sweetheart, you're nothing, a no body," Beth bit back, malice making her face even more severe than usual.

"Ha, that's ironic coming from you, isn't it?" retorted Candice, now jumping into the argument too. "You think just because you won the Women's Championship from me, you're special. Well let me tell you a few home truths, success doesn't buy you friends, Beth. No on in the lockerroom likes you, in fact half of them can't stand you. So why don't you do as all a favour, and crawl back to the dog pound you came from."

The 'Glamazon' was about to reply again, but then both Charlotte and Maria jumped to their feet, their eyes burning with a dangerous fire. Being faced with four angry women and no one to back her up, Beth quickly turned tail and stalked off.

"God, what is her problem?" scowled Maria, after Beth had left. "We've done nothing to her. In fact, we tried to welcome her into the group when she came up from OVW, and she just threw it back in our faces."

"I don't know, Maria," answered Charlotte. "And honestly, I don't even care."

The divas shrugged, and they all returned to what they'd been doing previously. Now that the actual physical threat of Beth had gone, none of them were really that bothered any more. They we're all tired, and had better things to do with their time than worry about some diva that had a pole shoved up her ass.

Turning on her I-Pod on again, Charlotte grinned to herself, as a song she'd heard in the club last night began to play. Oblivious to those around her, the make up artist started to sing along.

"Everytime they turn the lights down. Just wanna go that extra mile for you. You got public display of affection. Feels like no one else in the room but you," she sang to herself.

The three divas instantly burst out laughing. Despite all her training as a cheerleader in High School - which had made her into one hell of a dancer as an adult - Charlotte could not hold a tune for jack. She sounded somewhere between a strangled cat, and a baby crying.

"What?" the make up artist asked innocently.

"Nothing, Britney, you go back to it," smirked Candice.

Charlotte looked perplexed for a few minutes, and then continued singing to herself – badly!

* * *

The flight to the state where Raw was being held that night passed quickly and uneventfully for Charlotte, Kelly, Maria and Candice. Thankfully, they had no more run-ins with Beth, or anyone else for that matter. The make up and divas spent the plane journey trying to catch up on the sleep they'd missed in the past few days. 

Arriving at the hotel, and arranging to meet up again for lunch a few hours later, Charlotte and her friends booked into their rooms, and then each headed off to their respective beds to get a few more hours sleep, before they had to start getting ready for Raw.

When Charlotte got to her room, she was thankful to find it empty and assumed her room-mate - Ashley Prescott, from the film crew – was elsewhere.

Turing off her cell phone, so that no one could disturb her, the make up artist lay down on her bed for a nap.

Two hours later, and after a very peaceful rest, the blonde awoke with her stomach growling from hunger.

After freshening up, she headed down to meet her friends for lunch.

The three divas were already waiting for Charlotte when she arrived, chatting happily about there plans for that evening.

"You know, I'm sure we could twist Charlie's arm, and convince her to come out with us tonight," insisted Maria.

"No you could not!" protested Charlotte, appearing behind the petite diva. "No matter what offers I receive tonight, I plan on curling up in bed, with a book."

"Oh, come on Charlie. It'll be fun and you never know who you might run into," said Kelly, with a cocked eyebrow.

"If all you want me to come out for is to couple me off, then you're out of luck. I told you, I'm going nowhere tonight," the make up artist said firmly. "And in case you're forgetting, I don't need setting up, thank you. I met Mark last night, remember? And we're going out for dinner during the week."

"Oh, yeah, him," sighed Candice, with a roll of her eyes. "Charlotte, you can't really be interested in him, can you? I mean, he's just some accountant. You can do so much better, babe."

"I'll remind you again, girls, I'm a grown woman. I'll decide who to date," she replied shortly. "Anyway, I like Mark, and really think this date could go somewhere."

The three divas all gave their friend a 'whatever' look, and then changed the subject.

"So, what are we doing during our days off?" asked Maria.

The four friends ordered lunch, and then continued discussing their plans for their free time.

Very soon it was time for them all to head to the arena for that night's Raw. As usual, Paulo offered to give Charlotte a ride, as the divas had gone off ahead, to get to work in time for the pre-show meeting.

"So, did you have fun last night?" the hairstylist asked, as they rode to the arena.

"Yeah, it was a blast. Did you?" returned the make up artist.

"Of course, I spent my whole night dancing with beautiful people," laughed Paulo.

"Still got it bad for Jeff Hardy then, huh?" asked Charlotte, with a raised eyebrow.

The hairstylist blushed, but said nothing more on the subject of the Intercontinental Champion.

They arrived at the arena, and after signing themselves in, went to set up their equipment for the night.

"We're going to be in for a long night with the Diva Halloween Battle Royal," commented Charlotte, setting out her cosmetics and brushes on the vanity stand.

"I know, tell me about it. What I wouldn't give for just a night of hair-spraying and curling irons," replied Paulo, getting out his straighteners, blow dryer and other tools.

"I just hope Beth Phoenix doesn't cause me any trouble again," remarked the make up artist, before filling her friend in on what had happened at the airport.

"She never? What a total bitch!" exclaimed Paulo. "Want me to burn her with the straightening irons later?"

"Thanks for the support, but I'd rather not have to patch up her ugly mug afterwards," laughed the blonde.

The night soon got underway, and Raw began. Charlotte certainly was kept on her toes, with divas coming and going, all needing their make up done, and wrestlers wanting cuts, black-eyes and other ailments, either covered up, or added – depending on what their current storyline required.

Half way through the night, Jeff Hardy appeared, asking Paulo to braid his newly cut hair for him.

The hairstylist blushed, and then went to work, plaiting the Intercontinental Champion's hair.

"Thank you, you're a real star," said Jeff, when Paulo was done, and then embraced him.

The hairstylist went redder than an over-ripe strawberry, and muttered that it wasn't a problem.

As Jeff headed off for his match against Mr. Kennedy, Paulo turned to Charlotte, a dreamy look in his eyes.

"Oh my god! Isn't he just perfect?" he exclaimed.

"I guess, if you go for the whole pierced, tattoo covered, make up wearing type of guy," replied Charlotte facetiously. "Me, I prefer my men manly and rugged."

"Well, I could just eat him right up," added Paulo, to which Charlotte laughed, and then the hairstylist asked, "Do you want anything from the staff lounge? It's quiet now, and I know I sure need a cool drink after that."

Again, the blonde giggle, and replied, "Yeah, could you grab me a kitkat and a can of coke, please? I'll stop here and hold the fort."

"Sure thing, doll, I'll be straight back," answered Paulo, and then headed off down the hallway.

Charlotte had barely sat down and began flicking though a magazine, when Randy Orton appeared.

"Oh, Charlie, light of my life," he began.

"What do you want, Orton?" asked the make up artist, knowing 'The Legend Killer' was turning on the charm because he was after something.

"Would you be so kind as covering up this bruise on my forehead, from where Michaels Super-kicked me?" the wrestler asked.

"Sure thing, hop on the stool and I'll sort it out for you," she returned.

Orton jumped onto the chair, and after a few minutes and a little concealer, the bruise was all covered.

"So, are you and the girls joining me in a club again tonight?" asked Orton, leaning back in the stool.

"I think the others are up for it," replied Charlotte. "However, I'm having an early night."

"Spoilt sport," said the wrestler, pretending to sulk. "I didn't get to dance with you nearly enough last night. Actually, where were you all night?"

The make up artist contemplated him for a minute, wondering how much detail to go into. As she was about to reply, someone behind her spoke, and answered for her.

"She was with me," said Jericho, with a shrug, placing his hands on Charlotte's shoulders.

"Oh, I see," said Orton, with a smirk. "Now I remember the compromising position Cena told me he found the two of you in, when you got out of the cab."

Charlotte turned bright red, and shrugged out of Jericho's grasp, where he'd still been holding onto her shoulders, and contemplating Orton.

"I was drunk, and made an ass out of myself," said the make up artist sheepishly. "So sue me."

Orton was about to say more, but Jericho glared at him and said, "Hey Orton, McMahon is looking for you."

"Damn! What does he want now?" asked 'The Legend Killer', rising from the stool, and looking up and down the corridor, as if the WWE CEO was about to jump out at him at any second.

"Dunno, he didn't say," replied the other wrestler. "He just told me, if I saw you, to send you to his office."

"Well, I guess I should leave you two love birds to it, and go and find out what he wants," said Orton, heading off down the hallway.

Charlotte and Jericho glared at 'The Legend Killer' one last time, and then the make up artist flopped onto the stool he'd just vacated.

"Was McMahon really looking for him?" she asked.

"Nah, I just thought you could do with a break," replied the wrestler with a grin.

"Thanks, you were right," admitted the blonde, with a beaming smile of her own. "So, you're still speaking to me after I drooled all over your jacket and almost landed in your lap?"

Jericho laughed, and hopped onto the vanity table next to her.

"Well, you put up with my terrible dancing, so I guess we're even," he said, with a wink.

"It wasn't that bad, you know. You just need to loosen up a little," insisted the make up artist.

"Maybe," the wrestler shrugged, and then smiled. "Perhaps if you gave me a few more lessons, I'd get better?"

"Maybe so, but I don't think I'd fancy the gossip that would cause," said Charlotte facetiously.

"They really are like vultures, aren't they?" laughed Jericho. "They see a guy and a girl hanging out, and immediately assume something is going on."

"I know," agreed Charlotte, with a grin. "I mean, we've only just met, so of course that means we wanna jump into bed together."

"Well, I am a sexy beast, so no one would blame you," teased the Canadian.

The blonde blushed deeper still, and they both fell into an awkward silence for a few moments, during which time, Charlotte tried very hard to focus on her trainers.

"You know, we could, just to break the tension," suggested the wrestler facetiously.

Charlotte spun around in her stool, a look of complete shock on her face, and her mouth hanging open like a goldfish.

Jericho started to laugh, and said, "That comment was worth it, just for the look on your face right now."

The blonde looked scandalized, and reached over to poke him in the arm with one of her make up brushes.

"Ow. Get off, that hurts," he complained, rubbing his elbow.

This time it was the make up artist's turn to grin smugly, "Ah-ha! Not only can I dance, but I'm also a demon with a make up brush," she announced proudly.

"Yeah, I noticed. No wonder Orton's scared of you," teased Jericho.

"Well, he knows better than to mess with me, and you'll learn that too, soon enough," insisted Charlotte with a cheeky smile.

"You're insane," laughed the wrestler, jumping down off the vanity table, and ruffling Charlotte's hair as he did. "I'm going back to the lockerroom, before you have the chance to beat me up any more."

"Yeah, running away with your tail between you legs," teased the make up artist.

"Something like that," agreed Jericho, now heading off up the corridor, before calling back over his shoulder "I guess I'll see ya around, Charlie."

"Not if I find you first, Chris," the blonde called back, brandishing a make up brush at him.

Charlotte turned back to her vanity table, and started packing her things away. She wondered where on earth Paulo could have gotten to, but then figured she owed him after all the times he'd covered for her. Therefore, after the make up artist had packed her own equipment into its case, she began clearing the hairstylist's things away too.

Just as Charlotte had finished making sure all of her and Paulo's belongings were packed into their respective cases, the hairstylist returned.

"I'm sorry I was so long, doll," he said, as he joined the blonde, who was now sweeping the floor. "I ran into Candy, and I lost track of time. What's all this I hear about you not joining us tonight?"

"Oh, don't you start too," replied the make up artist, with a good natured roll of her eyes. "I just don't feel up to it, ok? I'm knackered, and really want an early night. You know I've got a date this week, and I want to be in top form for it, instead of turning up sleep deprived and hung-over."

"I suppose you've got a point," agreed Paulo. "I'm exhausted too, and am only going out tonight, because I know Jeff is. Do you think I should say anything to him?"

Charlotte was happy that her friend had dropped the subject of her not coming out with them to a club, and gladly jumped into discussing the hairstylist's chances with the wrestler.

"I dunno, honey. Wasn't there all that talk of him dating that chick from the photography team a few years ago?" she pointed out.

"Well, yeah. But then, there's the way we get on together, and I always wondered if there was ever more between him and Shannon Moore than anyone was letting on. Maybe he plays for both teams?" wondered the hairstylist hopefully.

Charlotte laughed, and shrugged her shoulders. "Honestly, Paulo, I don't know. Maybe it would be worth holding off confessing your undying love for him, just yet, and sussing the situation out a little more?" she suggested.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," sighed the hairstylist, slightly crestfallenly. "Are you sure you're going to be alright on your own tonight, Charlie?"

"Absolutely," replied Charlotte quickly, preferring a night of relaxation to going out again, and being hung-over the following morning. "I plan on having a long hot bath, and then curling up in bed all night."

"With who?" asked Paulo suggestively.

"Alone!" the blonde insisted with a laugh.

Satisfied that his friend would indeed be ok by herself for the evening, Paulo made sure everything was shut down for the night, and then he and Charlotte headed back to the hotel.

After saying good night, and telling the hairstylist to give the divas her love, the blonde headed straight up to her hotel room.

Ashley Prescott was now there too, and as Charlotte grabbed a towel, her robe and some bubble-bath, the camera girl's cell phone rang, and she sprang into a rapid and excited conversation with whoever was on the other end.

The blonde spent about an hour in the bath, relishing the hot water that was relaxing her aching muscles.

When she returned to the bedroom, she pulled out her Miles and Boon book, changed into her pyjamas and snuggled under the duvet for the night.

However, after half an hour, Charlotte still couldn't relax. She was so use to partying all night, that her body clock hadn't adjusted yet, and she was no where near ready to sleep. In addition, Ashley was still yapping away on her phone, and so the make up artist had no peace.

Contemplating if she should get changed, and head to the night club and find her friends, the blonde decided against it. By the time she's got herself ready for a night out, and walked the two blocks to the night club, the evening would be almost over, and she still didn't feel like a wild night of endless drinking. Instead, she opted to have a quiet drink in the hotel bar, hoping maybe a night cap would help her sleep.

Charlotte then applied a little make up – as she wouldn't go out in public without any on, even if it was just down to the bar – pulled her hair into a tight pony-tail, slipped on some skinny jeans, a t-shirt, and her favourite pumps, and then made her way downstairs.

Because the majority of WWE employees had headed off to the night club, the bar was fairly empty, and after ordering herself a rum and coke, the blonde looked around for anyone she knew. The make up artist spotted Jericho near the rear of the room, a bottle of beer in his hand, watching sports highlights on the massive TV screen just above him.

"Hey Chris," she greeted, as she approached him. "How come you're not at the club with everyone else?"

"I could ask you the same thing," the wrestler returned, taking his eyes off the TV screen to look directly at the blonde. "Seriously though, I think I'm getting too old for hitting a club every night."

"I was thinking that myself," agreed Charlotte, as she took the available seat opposite the wrestler. "It's just too much hassle."

"You're telling me. I mean, it takes me like an hour to do my hair," said Jericho facetiously.

Charlotte laughed, took a sip of her rum and coke, and then relaxed back in her chair.

The wrestler stood up, turned the volume on the TV down a little, and then gave his full attention to the blonde.

"You sure you wanna be seen sitting opposite me? You'll set tongues wagging again," teased Jericho.

"I'll risk it," replied the make up artist, with a grin. "So, what have you got planned for your days off?"

"More book signings and promotion," answered the wrestler, with a slightly tired sigh. "And I'm seeing my daughter. Since Debbs and I split, I'm still getting use to only seeing Abigail a few days a week."

"You're got a daughter? How old is she? Have you got any pictures of her?" Charlotte questioned, in quick succession.

Jericho laughed, and pulled out his wallet. "This is Abby," he informed. "She'll be twelve in January, and it scares me to death. I remember the day she was born, and now she's in middle school, meeting boys and wanting to know if she can wear make up."

Charlotte looked down at the picture of an eleven-year-old girl, who looked just like her father, but in miniature female form. She had slightly wavy, shoulder length blonde hair, curling around her face, and crystal blue eyes.

"She's gorgeous," commented the make up artist, with a warm smile. "No wonder you're scared, she's going to break a lot of hearts when she's older."

The wrestler grinned, and showed the blonde another picture, this time featuring himself and Abigail.

"It isn't just the fact that she's growing up though. Since Debbie and I got divorced a year and a half ago, I've had to get use to missing so much. When Abby was little, despite being on the road with the WWE, I made sure I went to every play, and parents evening that I could. Now, I get to see her three times a week if I'm lucky, even less since releasing my book, and coming back to wrestling," sighed the wrestler, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

"God, that must be so hard for you," commented Charlotte, leaning across the table to look directly at him. She found it extremely endearing to hear how Jericho spoke about his daughter, and how much he obviously loved her. "It'll get easier though. Once you're done promoting your book, you'll have more free time, and maybe when Abigail gets older she can visit you more often."

The wrestler nodded, and smiled warmly at the blonde, touched by how much she seemed to care about his life. In the past few weeks, all anyone had wanted to know about was his book, or when he was returning to the WWE. However, here was Charlotte – who he'd only met the day before – looking past his wrestling status, and taking an interest in him as a person, not just a WWE Superstar. Jericho knew in that moment, when he looked at the make up artist gazing at a photo of his daughter, that they were going to become firm friends.


	4. A Terrible Date

**Author's Notes: **I'd like to thank **Inday** and** Disco Inferno1 **for your awesome reviews for chapter three. I'm glad y'all enjoyed it, and I always appreciate the comments and support.

Additionally, I'd like to thank both Gin (Disco Inferno1, User ID: 339498) and Karen (IMissPadfoot, User ID: 1133633) for your comments and help with this chapter. Love ya both very much!

* * *

**Chapter Four: A Terrible Date. **

Charlotte was very pleased the following day to be flying home to Jackson, Mississippi. Despite how much she loved her job with the WWE, the blonde also enjoyed going home to see her family, relaxing, and hitting the mall.

The make up artist was especially excited about seeing her sister, Ellie, as the younger woman had recently taken her first semester qualifying examinations, and Charlotte was eager to know how she'd done.

In addition, the blonde was looking forwards to her date with Mark – whom she'd met in the night club on Sunday. As she'd been waiting for her flight at the airport, Charlotte had text the accountant, letting him know she'd be home for a few days, and was free on Wednesday evening, if he wanted to meet up for dinner or something. Mark replied to the message in less then a minute, saying he'd love to, and that if she'd like to, he would drive over to Jackson and take her out.

With the date now arranged, the blonde felt a small bubble of excitement forming in her stomach, and she began planning what she could wear. Deciding she wanted a new outfit, and could also do with buying some new make up supplies, Charlotte text Ellie, asking if she wanted to collect her from the airport, and then the sisters could go straight to the mall. The younger Robinson daughter agreed, saying she had the afternoon off, and would collect Charlotte from the airport in a few hours.

The make up artist then spent the morning waiting for her flight to board, and then flying back home to Mississippi. She passed the duration of the plane journey napping, and soon arrived back in her home state.

After collecting her suitcase, Charlotte made her way to the parking lot, and found Ellie waiting for her – the younger sister's pink 'Barbie like' VW Beetle parked just behind.

"Have a good few days at work, Charlie?" Ellie asked, helping her sister to load her suitcase into the trunk of the car.

"Yeah, it was the pay per view on Sunday, so afterwards, we all hit a night club. The girls and I decided to dress in Halloween costumes, and it was absolutely hysterical. I took some photos on my digital camera, so I'll upload them all to your laptop later," replied the make up artist, hopping into the front passenger seat.

"Oh, I'm so jealous. I wish I could have come out with y'all. Was Cena there?" the younger blonde questioned sheepishly, not being able to contain her curiosity about the object of her affections.

"Yes, he was, and no, I don't think he hooked up. He spent the majority of the night dancing with me and the girls" assured Charlotte, as Ellie began driving. "Although, I did spend a while at the bar with Chris, so I dunno for sure."

"Chris? Masters?" inquired the beauty student, turning out of the airport parking lot. "I thought he'd been released from the company a while back?"

"Yeah, he was, and actually, I meant Chris Jericho, you doofus. He was with the WWE like two or three years ago, and returned at Cyber Sunday. I got to chatting with him in the staff lounge, and then later we hung out at the club," explained the older blonde, as though it was nothing. However, Ellie was looking at her big sister suspiciously. Not noticing the expectant look on Ellie's face, Charlotte went on. "You know, Chris is so funny. I was chatting to him half the night, and god damn, some of the stories he told me! He's in a band too, and it sounds like he has a great time when he goes on tour. And oh my god, last night, I had a drink with him in the hotel bar, and he was showing me photos of his daughter! She may just be the cutest kid I've ever seen!"

The younger sister cast the make up artist a lop-sided glance, and then asked, "So, y'all are hanging out and chatting about his daughter? What else is going on, Charlie? Because you seem very eager to talk about a guy you met like two days ago."

"Nothing's going on," insisted Charlotte, turning her head to look out the window. "He's just a really nice guy, and we have a lot of fun together. Hanging out with Chris isn't like hanging out with Orton and Cena. Those two are always goofing around, or trying it on. With Chris, we can just sit and talk about normal stuff; it's just more relaxed, you know what I mean?"

"Right, ok," said Ellie, now looking directly at her sister. "And you say nothing is going on? Doesn't sound like it to me."

Charlotte shrugged, and changed the CD in the car's player. "Like I said to the girls, I've only just met him, and that means I'm not thinking of jumping into bed with him or anything. You know, a guy and a girl can be just friends, ok?"

Ellie glanced at her sister, and gave her the same 'whatever' look the divas had given her just the day before.

The two sisters arrived at the mall, and after Ellie had parked the VW Beetle, they headed to the food quarter. Charlotte hadn't eaten since breakfast, and she was starving.

After ordering a warm, cheese covered pretzel and cup of coffee each, they sat down, and she asked her sister, "So, how are Mum, Dad and CJ?"

"CJ is great, he's having a good season, and thinking of asking Jeanie to move in with him," replied Ellie, informing her sister of their brother's football career and his long term romance with his high school sweetheart, Jeanie Walker.

"Oh, awesome! Do you think they're going to talk about getting married soon? I know Jeanie was hoping CJ would ask her on their anniversary this year, but with all the trouble going on with the team and everything, I don't think the thought even crossed CJ's mind," informed Charlotte.

"I dunno, he hasn't really said. To be honest, with my classes, and his matches, we haven't seen much of each other. Although, when Mum knew you'd be home tonight, she asked CJ and Jeanie to come around for dinner, so maybe you can ask him yourself, later?" suggested Ellie.

"Yeah, I will," agreed the make up artist. "So, how are Mum and Dad? Is Janice still trying to convince Mum to come back and work in the salon?"

"Nah, she's given up now. She knows since Dad retired from coaching little league, that there's no way Mum will go back. It's not like they need the extra money now we're all grown up and working and I think they quite enjoy spending their time together. It's totally gross actually. I got back from school yesterday, and went into the kitchen to make a sandwich, and there they were, making out. I mean, come on, they're our parents, they can't make out," laughed the beauty student.

"I think it's sweet, and romantic, that they're still in love after all these years," commented Charlotte, with a grin. "However, I'll just stop in the guest house, while I'm off work, so I don't catch them at it."

Ellie giggled, rolled her eyes and then said, "No, you're stopping in the guest house so you can bring that Mark guy back after your date."

"Shut up, pipsqueak," teased the older blonde, throwing crumbs at her sister.

When the sisters had finished exchanging any news that they might have missed in the three days since they'd seen each other last, and eaten all their lunch, Charlotte and Ellie began looking around the stores for an outfit the make up artist could wear on her date the next evening.

"This is cute?" suggested the beauty student, holding up a baby-pink sweater vest.

"Ohhh, you're right, that is cute," agreed the make up artist, taking it from her sister and throwing it in her basket. "I dunno if it would be fancy enough to wear on a date though, I'm after something really classy."

With the admittance she was after something stylish and sophisticated, Charlotte and Ellie continued to browse the shops.

Finally, the older blonde found a strapless, fifties style, black dress, similar to the type of thing Marilyn Monroe use to wear.

"Oh, Charlie, that dress is beautiful," squealed Ellie, as the two sisters made their way to the cash desk.

"Thanks, I'm just hoping Mark thinks so too," mused the older blonde.

"I'm sure he will," assured the beauty student. "You're going to knock him dead in that."

The make up artist grinned, and paid for the garment. Then, Charlotte and Ellie headed to the cosmetics store, Sephora.

Entering the shop, which smelt strongly of perfume, the sisters' eyes grew wide and they looked around in awe. Despite visiting the store almost weekly, Charlotte and Ellie were wearing expressions similar to those of a child on Christmas morning.

Both the make up artist and beauty student grinned at each other, and then ran off in different directions to look at various products that interested them.

Charlotte filled her basket with almost everything in reach. Although she'd only re-stocked her supply for work recently, there was a new range the make up artist wanted to try out. Knowing she could use whatever she'd brought both personally, and professionally, the blonde spent money like there was no limit on her credit card.

Reaching the check out, Charlotte found Ellie waiting there too. The younger sister's basket was also full to the brim with products, and she used the excuse that she needed them for her course.

'Ohhing' and 'Ahhing' over different eye-shadows or lip-sticks, Charlotte and Ellie paid for their purchases.

Climbing back into the VW Beetle with arms full of bags, the two sisters drove across town and back to their parents' house.

Ellie still lived in the main house with their mother and father, as she was only working part-time, while she completed her studies. CJ had moved out a number of years ago, when he'd began playing for the Mississippi Bulldogs. Charlotte had decided when she started working for the WWE, that it would be pointless wasting money on rent for an apartment of her own. She was on the road more than she was in Mississippi, so reasoned living in the family guest house was the best option. Loretta Mae and Charles Edward Robinson had agreed, wanting to keep their 'baby girl' close at hand, and only charged their eldest daughter minimal rent, which would cover her share of the utility bills and groceries.

Ellie grabbed her bags, and headed straight on into the main house – singing loudly and badly as she did – as Charlotte took her shopping bags and dragged her suit case along behind her to the guest house.

The small building - that consisted of a sitting room, kitchenette, wash-room and bedroom - was just how Charlotte had left it. Despite being kind of scatter-brained and ditzy at times, the blonde was also very tidy and organized. Each room was spotlessly clean, as though no one had been here for weeks. Every room was also decorated in a way that reflected the make up artist's personality, the bedroom especially so.

Heaving her case along with her, Charlotte stepped into the room, which had light pink walls, and a deep magenta carpet. There was a double bed situated in the middle of the room, which had an arrangement of fluffy and sequined cushions scattered across it, as well as one or two stuffed animals. Next to it, a wardrobe hung open, revealing a wide variety of clothes and shoes. Opposite the bed was a large vanity table. The table had cosmetics and products neatly lined across it, and on the wall around it were numerous photos and keep-sakes of Charlotte's friends, her travels or other places she'd visited.

After unpacking her case, and throwing everything in the washing basket at the end of her bed, Charlotte headed into the wash-room to freshen up, before going over to the main house to see her family.

As the blonde returned to her room - to tie her hair up and change her clothes - she took a second to gaze at the pictures on the wall.

Taking pride of place, in the center of the arrangement, was a large photo of Charlotte, Ellie, Candice, Maria and Kelly. All five women were wearing huge grins, as they embraced each other, and looked at the camera. The blonde made a mental note to print off the picture of herself and the divas, when they'd dressed up for Halloween, so that she could add it to the wall.

When the make up artist entered the main house, she found her mum and dad chatting to Ellie about the younger girl's test results.

"And the professor said he'd had a quick look at my paper, and I'd received top marks," the beauty student was explaining, as Charlotte sat down besides her.

"Well done, squirt," said the older blonde, nudging her sister with her shoulder. "You'll soon be after my job."

"You bet your ass I will," teased Ellie, with a grin. "I want an excuse to get my hands on John Cena."

"Ellie Lynnette Robinson, watch your mouth," their mother chided, and the younger blonde looked away sheepishly.

"Sorry, Mama," she muttered.

"And you, Charlie-Lou, come here and give your Mama a proper kiss," insisted Loretta Mae.

Charlotte scooted around her sister, to embrace their mother, and then perched on he arms of her father's chair.

"How was your flight, honey?" asked Charles Edward, who had the exact same eye color and shape as his two daughters.

"Great thanks, Daddy," replied the older blonde, who had inherited their mother's hair color, just like Ellie.

"And you're doing ok at work?" he continued.

"Yes, I'm fine," answered Charlotte with a slight roll of her eyes. Her father asked her the same question whenever she came home, and the response was always the same too.

The family fell into exchanging news with each other – from details of Loretta Mae's most recent bribe to return to her former salon, finishing with Charles Edward's announcement that he was being put forwards for the Mississippi foot-balling Hall of Fame next year.

"That's great Daddy," the sisters said in unison, both clambering to embrace their father.

As they all continued chatting and laughing, they heard the noise of the back door opening. Everyone in the room jumped up to go and greet CJ, who had just arrived.

Just like his two younger sisters, Charles Robinson Jnr., more commonly know as just CJ, was blonde haired and blue eyed. He'd inherited his looks from both of their parents, who had equally as fair complexions.

As CJ entered the room, behind him followed his girlfriend of almost twenty-years, Jeanie Walker. She was almost as tall as he was, standing at five foot, ten inches, and had short black hair. Her frame was slender and athletic, which was only appropriate, considering her job as a physiotherapist.

CJ and Jeanie embraced each family member in turn, and then settled on the couch -- Ellie and Charlotte now hopping onto the floor, and their parents sharing the same arm chair.

"Who wants iced tea?" asked Loretta Mae, rising from her place besides her husband.

Everyone said 'yes' and as Loretta Mae headed into the kitchen, Charlotte followed behind to help her mother.

"Oh, something smells good," commented the blonde, hovering over the stove to see what was causing the scent.

"That would be my apple pie," informed her mother, getting out a pitcher of iced tea and some glasses. "We're having you're favourite for dinner tonight."

"Daddy's fried chicken, with your apple pie for dessert?" questioned the make up with excitement. "Mama, you're the greatest."

"Well, I have to keep my babies happy while they're still at home," reasoned Loretta Mae with warm smile, as she carried the tray of drinks into the sitting room.

Charlotte and her mother settled back into the sitting room, and over a few glasses of iced tea, the family continued chatting until dinner was ready.

Meal times in the Robinson household were always a hectic, noisy affair. They weren't the type of people to stop talking just because they were eating, so between mouthfuls of food, and passing dishes of sweet potatoes around, everyone continued chatting.

Charlotte amused her family with the story of her night out on Sunday, skimming over the details of her time spent with Jericho, when Ellie shot her an expectant look. And then CJ informed them all he was thinking of retiring from playing next year, and taking up coaching instead.

"I'm not getting any younger, you know? And If Jeanie and I plan on moving in together, I want more spare time," reasoned the football player.

"Y'all are moving in together?" Loretta Mae asked with delight, as she cleared the diner plates away.

"Yeah, we've been thinking about it for a while now," explained Jeanie. "We figure now would be the time to do it, while we're both working together and all."

Loretta Mae looked from her son to his girlfriend with tears in her eyes, and was about to speak, when Charlotte - knowing what question was coming next - forestalled her.

"Mama, is the apple pie ready?" she asked.

Their mother looked put out, but CJ and Jeanie looked relieved. Ellie sniggered, as the older woman chided her daughter for always thinking about food before everything else.

Having had to opportunity to ask if CJ and Jeanie were planning on getting married soon taken away from her, Loretta Mae started dishing up desert, with a slight pout on her face.

The apply pie was cooked to perfection, and the family had to fight for their share, as Charlotte helped herself to the biggest slice.

After dessert, Ellie and Jeanie offered to wash up, as Loretta Mae and Charles Edward retired to the sitting room, and Charlotte and CJ headed outside to sit on the porch.

"We're going to grab a few beers, come join us when you're done," called CJ to his girlfriend and younger sister.

As the siblings sat down, the football player correctly guessed what the blonde was thinking, and spoke before she even had a chance to ask him about anything.

"Yes, Jeanie and I are thinking of getting married. Please don't say anything to Mama, Pops or Ellie yet though, ok, Charlie?" he begged.

"CJ, that's wonderful," exclaimed Charlotte, embracing her brother. "But why don't you want the family knowing?"

"Because, y'all have a habit of making a fuss over everything. Pops will stay quiet, but you, Mama and Ellie will want to take over. Jeanie and I just want a quiet ceremony, without any trouble. If we knew Mama wouldn't skin our hides for it, we'd get married at city hall," replied CJ.

"CJ, it's Mama's right, as mother of the groom, it's her duty to make a fuss. Do you know how upset she'd be if you planned a wedding without her? I know she – ok all of us - can be a little overbearing at times, but that's because we love you and want you to be happy. You and Jeanie have been together so long, that y'all deserve a proper wedding," reasoned the make up artist.

"That's exactly my point though, Charlotte," insisted CJ. "Jeanie and I have been together for almost twenty years, and one scrap of paper isn't going to make any difference to our relationship. The only reason we're getting married is because we know our mothers would have a blue fit if we just lived together for the rest of our lives. I can just hear Mama now, 'Oh, my first grandbaby being born a bastard child, it just ain't right'."

The two siblings burst into hysterical laughter at CJ's impression of their mother, just as Jeanie and Ellie appeared on the porch, the youngest blonde holding a bottle of beer, and the raven-haired woman sipping on iced tea – as she was driving.

"What's so funny?" asked the beauty student, hating to think she was being left out of something.

CJ shot Jeanie a look to say he'd told Charlotte about their plans to get married, and the physiotherapist nodded her head, as she sat on her boyfriend's lap.

"Nothing," CJ lied. "Charlotte was just telling me more stories about her night out."

The five people continued chatting over a few bottles of beer well into the night, until Ellie started to yawn.

"I'm going to bed," announced the beauty student, rising from the chair with another yawn. "I've got an early class in the morning."

The others nodded, and said goodnight to Ellie, and then CJ and Jeanie said they were leaving too.

"Have fun at work," said the football player, embracing his sister. "And make sure you remember to call me when you have the chance, you never keep in touch when you're on the road."

"I will," promised Charlotte, moving from her brother's embrace to hug Jeanie. "Y'all take care, and let me know if y'all have any more thoughts on the wedding."

"We will," assured the raven-haired woman, kissing the make up artist on the cheek. "Just make sure you don't let anything slip to the others."

"I'll be the perfect model of secrecy and discretion," said Charlotte facetiously, walking with her brother and Jeanie to their car.

Once her brother and his girlfriend had pulled away in their car, the make up artist headed across the yard to the guest house. She changed into her favourite pink, flannel pyjamas, and then climbed into bed. Exhausted from a day of travelling, shopping and catching up with her family, Charlotte instantly fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

The following day Charlotte relished her time at home, doing all the things she loved to do, which made her feel relaxed and content. 

The blonde took a long, hot bubble bath, and made sure she was all neatly groomed for her date that evening. Then, after a leisurely lunch, and sorting out her laundry for when she was back at work, the make up artist spent a few hours online.

Charlotte replied to her most recent email from Carla, took a few personality quizzes online, browsed E-bay for some new shoes, and printed off four copies of the picture of herself and the three divas at the night club on Sunday, in their Halloween costumes. The blonde attached one of the printouts to her wall, along with the collection of her other photos, and then put the other three in her suit case, to give to her friends when she get back to work.

Despite doing hardly anything productive all day, before the blonde knew it, it was time for her to be getting ready for her date with Mark.

When the accountant phoned to the blonde to say he was on his way over, and that he had made table reservations for an expensive restaurant in Jackson, she began getting ready.

The make up artist slipped into her black, strapless dress, and was pleased to see how well the 50's style garment complemented her figure, and accentuated her curves. She then did her make up, with smoky eyes and red vampish lips stick, before styling her hair down and perfectly straight.

She then quickly ran over to the main house, to check with Ellie that the beauty student would be in that evening, in case Charlotte needed to use the 'emergency disastrous date escape plan'. The plan involved Charlotte texting either her sister or one of the divas (depending on who was in town at the time), if the date was going badly, and then the other person would call the make up artist saying there had been a 'family emergency' and that she had to come home as soon as possible. Unfortunately, Charlotte had used this plan over her last five dates.

Just as Charlotte was checking that everything in the guest house was tidy, and all her appliances were switched off, there came a knock at the front door.

The blonde answered it, to find Mark waiting on the other side, wearing an expensive black suit, and holding a bunch of red roses.

"Charlotte, it's good to see you again," the accountant greeted, as he kissed her cheek, before adding, "These are for you, I hope you like them."

"Thank you, Mark," replied Charlotte, taking the bouquet of flowers from him, and gesturing that he should follow her into the sitting room. "They're lovely."

As the accountant settled on the couch, Charlotte went and put the roses in a vase of water, and then returned to the living room to join him.

"You really have a nice place here," Mark complemented, propping his foot on the table.

The subconscious gesture irked the blonde, and she had to refrain from slapping his legs down. Instead she asked, "What time are the dinner reservations?"

"Half an hour, so maybe we could have a little drink before hand?" the accountant asked.

"Yeah, ok. Do you want to find a bar or just go straight to the restaurant?" returned to make up artist.

"Well, as I don't know any bars around here, and I'm not drinking because of having to drive, do you just want to head to the restaurant now?"

The blonde nodded in agreement, feeling a little frustrated with how the date was starting off. The roses had been a nice gesture, and she appreciated the thought. However, Mark had hardly said anything, aside from complimenting her house, and his indecisiveness was annoying her. When Charlotte went on dates, she liked the man to take control, and treat her like a Princess. Tonight, that just didn't seem to be happening.

The accountant rose from the couch, and without another word to Charlotte made his way to the door. Feeling a little put out, the make up artist pulled on her wrap and followed behind him. They climbed into Mark's expensive company car, and rode to the restaurant without another word to each other.

When they arrived, the Maître d' showed them to their table, before a server asked them what they would like to drink.

"Just a glass of mineral water please," replied Mark. "With a slice of lemon, but no ice."

The server then turned to Charlotte, who hesitated for a second. Usually, on dates, she would share a bottle of wine with who ever she was with. Not wanting to drink alone, she ordered the same.

As they waited for their drinks to arrive, Charlotte and Mark browsed the menu, again not really talking to each other. Once more, the blonde's heart fell, as she had hoped that they'd discuss their order together, and maybe decide to share something.

When the two glasses of mineral water arrived, the couple was now ready to order their meals. Charlotte had mozzarella and rocket salad for her starter, and Penne pasta with Salmon, Arugula, and Chives. The blonde held off ordering any desert, wanting to wait and see how dinner went first. Mark ordered stuffed jalapeño pepper as his starter, and a T-bone steak, which came with fries and salad, for his main course.

The blonde had to refrain from rolling her eyes at the boring, clichedness of the accountant's choice of meal.

_What's the point of going to an expensive Italian restaurant, if you're just going to eat the same thing you could have at any diner in town? _she thought to herself.

As the couple waited for their meal to arrive, they finally began chatting. However, Mark hardly asked Charlotte any questions about herself, and instead droned on and on about his work. In contrast to how chatty the accountant had been in the night club on Sunday, he now came across as a dull workaholic. The blonde was reminded of when she'd had a drink with Jericho on Monday night, and how she and the wrestler had talked happily all evening, like two friends who'd known each other for years.

The make up artist was actually relieved when their meals arrived, and she didn't have to listen to any more tales about 'income growth charts'. Again, the two diners fell silent, and Charlotte wondered when the night was going to get interesting and start feeling like a real date. The blonde looked ruefully across at the couple sitting at the table next to them, where the guy was feeding the woman chocolate cake from his spoon.

By the time Charlotte and Mark had finished their main course, the make up artist was now feeling very tired and bored. It was almost as if the accountant had been a different person when they'd met on Sunday night, and Charlotte put it down to the fact he'd been drinking that evening.

Finally having enough of the night, and wanting nothing more than to curl up in bed with a book, Charlotte discreetly text Ellie, asking her sister to initiate the plan. Five minutes later, the beauty student called her sister's cell phone, saying 'their grandmother had been taken ill, and that she needed to come home straight away.'

"I'm so sorry to have to leave like this," apologized Charlotte. "My Grams has been sick and in hospital for a few weeks now, and my family were always worried she'd take a turn for the worst."

The blonde felt guilty for using the name of her deceased Grandmother like this – God rest her soul – but needed a way out, and knew Grandma Robinson wouldn't have minded, as she had always been a feisty woman, who enjoyed life to the fullest. If the woman had have been alive today, she would have surely kicked Mark into line for not treating her granddaughter properly.

"It's quite alright, Charlotte. I just hope it isn't too serious, and she makes a full recovery soon," said Mark kindly, and the make up artist felt another twinge of guilt at her lies. "I'll pay the bill, and get you a cab home."

"Thank you," returned the blonde. "I really appreciate it."

"You're very welcome," replied the accountant, paying the bill. "Maybe I can call you next week, and we can arrange to go out again?"

"Yeah, I'd like that," lied Charlotte, as she pulled on her wrap. "I'll have to see how busy I am with work though."

"Alright, well, I'll call you next week, and you can let me know if you're free," agreed Mark, seeing Charlotte out of the restaurant, and to the cab that was waiting for her.

As Charlotte opened the car door, the accountant went to kiss her, and the blonde quickly drew away as if burnt.

"Sorry, Mark," she mumbled, kissing him briefly on the cheek. "It's just with my Grams so sick, I want to get home as soon as possible."

The accountant nodded, and looked at the blonde sadly as she climbed into the cab and closed the door.

When the car was out of view from the restaurant, Charlotte pulled out her cell and called Ellie.

"Hey, sis, are you still up?" she asked, and when the reply came, the make up artist continued. "I don't suppose you fancy hitting a bar do you? I need a few drinks after that terrible date."


	5. Honey, you do that all on your own

**Author's Notes: **I'd like to thank **Inday** and** Super T** for your awesome reviews for chapter four. I'm glad y'all enjoyed it, and I always appreciate the comments and support.

Additionally, I'd like to thank both Gin (Disco Inferno1, User ID: 339498) and Karen (IMissPadfoot, User ID: 1133633) for your comments and help with this chapter. Love ya both very much!

* * *

**Chapter Five: Honey, you do that all on your own**

When Charlotte returned to work later that week, her three friends were eager to know how her date with Mark had gone. So, before they were due to be at arena for that night's house-show, the make up artist and divas found a quiet diner to have lunch at, while they caught up.

"So, how was the date?" asked Candice, as they all sat down with mugs of coffee.

"Terrible," confessed Charlotte, taking a long sip of her drink. "So much so I had to get Ellie to call saying there was a family emergency."

The divas snorted with laughter, more than familiar with the blonde's routine escape plan, as they'd each done it for their friend in the past.

"What happened?" asked Kelly. "You seemed really into him at the club, and you were so excited about your date."

"What happened was we were both sober. Mark couldn't drink, because he was driving, so I didn't either. I think he must have been drunk when I met him on Sunday, because he was seriously more interesting then. All he went on about over dinner was income growth charts, I was bored to death," scoffed the blonde.

The divas all shook their head in pity, as though dullness was a crime against humanity.

"He seemed so nice as well," commented Maria wistfully, playing with the pastry on the plate in front of her.

"Well obviously looks aren't everything. You know, he even had the cheek to call me 'Char'? God I hate that nickname, Charlotte or Charlie is fine, but no one should ever call me 'Char'," argued the make up artist indignantly.

The three divas shook their heads in amusement and laughed. They all knew how picky Charlotte was about the men she dated, and that fickleness extended to everything from what type of shoes the guy wore, to what he addressed her as. They'd know Charlotte to turn down perfectly nice guys in the past, simply because they had referred to her as 'Char'.

"Don't worry, babe," reassured Candice with a comforting smile. "You'll find someone one day who'll treat you like a princess."

"I hope so," sighed Charlotte, before asking Maria, "Are you going to eat that? Because if you don't want it, I do."

Candice and Kelly laughed, as the petite diva shook her head and pushed the plate across to Charlotte. The blonde was well known for having a hearty appetite.

"She's love sick," informed Candice, with a smirk.

"Oh yes, that's right. How are things going with... erm... what was his name again?" asked Charlotte.

"Josh," replied Maria, her eyes lighting up, now the topic of her new boyfriend had been mentioned. "I saw him again last night; we watched a movie at his house. My god, the place he lives in is beautiful; it's like a mansion or something. And he has these two gorgeous Husky dogs too. So, as I was saying, we watched a movie at Josh's, and he cooked us both dinner. Seriously, he's the most amazing cook ever; he made us a three course meal, without any effort at all. Then, after the movie, we cuddled on the couch all night, it was so sweet. And he didn't try it on or anything, he was the perfect gentleman."

The petite brunette trailed off with a dreamy look in her eyes, and her friends giggled.

"See, that's what I want," sighed the make up artist. "I want a sweetheart like that, who enjoys cuddling, and someone who can actually hold a decent conversation. When I was out with Mark, I got to thinking about how well Jericho and I had got on in the bar on Monday, and the contrast really hit me. I mean, I've known them both for the same amount of time, and yet the guy who was meant to be really into me turned out to be a dud."

At the mention of the wrestler, the blonde suddenly had the full and undivided attention of her friends, even Maria snapped out of the trance she'd been in.

"Oh yes, I'd forgotten you ditched us for Jericho the other night," commented Kelly with a sly grin. "How was that?"

"More fun than I've had for a long time," confessed Charlotte, with a sheepish smile. "He is so funny, and we just kept talking all night. Considering we've only just met, there were no awkward silences or anything. We were just so relaxed around each other, and I feel like I can tell Chris anything. There's no pretense there, because we're not dating or anything, so we can just be ourselves and I like that a lot."

The divas sniggered, and gave Charlotte a questioning look.

"So, y'all are cozying up together, then?" asked Candice. "I think our little Charlie is falling for him."

"No, no, it isn't like that," insisted the blonde seriously. "Like I said, because we're just hanging out as friends, everything is so much simpler. I could never sit in a bar with a guy I was interested in – with hardly any make up on and wearing an old pair of jeans - chatting about his daughter and stuff like that."

"He's got a daughter?" asked Kelly. "How old is she?"

"Yeah, he has. Her name is Abigail and she's eleven. Chris showed me a picture of her, and she is the most adorable kid I've ever seen. She has his blonde hair and blue eyes, she's going to be a real heart breaker when she's older," informed Charlotte, with a grin.

The three divas all raised their eyebrows, and looked directly at the make up artist.

"And you're sure nothing is going on between the two of you?" questioned Maria. "Because the way you talk about him suggests there's more than friendship there."

"I told you, it's not like that. Chris only split up from Abigail's mum about eighteen months ago," protested the blonde, as if that was enough of a reason for her not to be interested in the wrestler. "And besides, I don't see him like that. He's a mate, like Orton and Cena are, and you never question if I've got something going on with one of those two."

"That's because you don't talk about Orton or Cena any chance you get," commented Candice, before adding, with a cheeky wink, "Or ditch us to spend the night alone with one of them, like you did on Monday."

"I didn't ditch y'all," insisted Charlotte, sounding slightly offended. "I genuinely wanted an early night, but Ashley Prescott was yapping away on her phone. I couldn't sleep, so I went down to the bar for a night cap, and Jericho just happened to be there, so I joined him."

"Ok, if you insist, Charlie," teased Kelly playfully.

"I do," protested Charlotte, now pouting. "There is nothing going on."

This admittance was enough to shut the divas up, and as they finished their lunch, they returned back to the topic of Maria and Josh.

* * *

Charlotte and the divas returned to the hotel after lunch, and headed off to their respective rooms to get ready for that night's houseshow. As always, the divas were riding together to the arena earlier than the blonde, and she was getting a ride with Paulo. Therefore, the five friends said good-bye to each other in the hotel lobby, and arranged to meet up after the show.

Charlotte was relieved Ashley wasn't in the room, and assumed the camera girl was still out with her own friends. Relishing her time alone, the blonde took a quick shower, and then began getting ready for the houseshow. In some respects, the make up artist preferred houseshows, as there was less work to do, because of the matches not being broadcast on TV.

After freshening up, Charlotte spent an hour or so reading her romance novel, and relaxing before work started. As the blonde read a story about a woman who was swept of her feet by a seemingly perfect guy, she felt a twang in her heart, and wished her own love life could be that simple. What she wouldn't give to be done with dating losers, and meet her 'Mr. Right'.

Finally, the blonde folded the page down in her book, packed her cell and purse into her canvas bag, and went down to meet Paulo in the hotel lobby.

The hairstylist was waiting for Charlotte in front of the reception desk, and when he saw her, his face broke into a broad grin.

"Charlie," he exclaimed, pulling the blonde into a tight embrace. "I missed you."

"It's only been a few days," giggled the make up artist, kissing her friend on both cheeks.

"And that is way too long," insisted Paulo, with a fake pout. "Especially when you ditched us on Monday."

"Oh, don't you start as well," said Charlotte, rolling her eyes. "I've already had the guilt trip from the girls."

"Well, they're right," said the hairstylist. "I mean, ditching us for a guy, how low is that?"

Despite herself, Charlotte giggled, but then replied, "And you can stop that right now. I didn't ditch y'all, and nothing is going on between Jericho and I."

Unlike the divas, this insistence was enough for Paulo, and he instantly dropped the subject, and in stead started talking about what he'd done on his days off.

Chatting happily, the two friends rode to the arena together, and then began setting up their equipment for the night.

Everything was going as planned, and Charlotte and Paulo were organized early for once, when Beth Phoenix appeared in the corridor.

"I'm so not in the mood for her tonight," the blonde whispered to the hairstylist.

"Don't worry," reassured the Latino. "I'll see 'Miss Bitch' off; you go and grab us some coffees."

Charlotte nodded, collected her purse and hurried along the hallway - to the staff lounge - before Beth had a chance to spot her.

In the make-shift sitting room, the make up artist found Jeff listening to his I-pod, and sipping on a can of Coke. Sitting down besides the wrestler, the blonde grinned at him and he removed his headphones.

"Hey, Charlie. Did you have a good few days off?" Jeff inquired.

"Yes, thank you. Did you?" she returned.

"Yeah, I had a blast, thanks. I hung out with Matt, and caught up with some friends back home," Jeff informed.

Remembering how Paulo had just covered her back with Beth, Charlotte smiled to herself, as an idea sprang to mind.

"Jeff," she began as casually as she could. "I was just wondering if you were seeing anyone?"

The wrestler gazed at her with a perplexed look on his face, and then answered facetiously, "I didn't know you were interested in me like that, Charlie?"

The make up artist laughed, and threw her head back. "No, no, I didn't mean me, silly. I was just wondering was all. You know what I'm like for romance and gossip."

"Well, no, I'm not," confessed Jeff, with a shrug. "I was seeing someone, but it kind of got complicated, so we decided to be just friends."

"Oh, ok then," said Charlotte, in her mind wondering if this was good or bad news for Paulo.

When the blonde returned to the beauty area, she was pleased to find Beth had gone.

"So, what did 'Miss Bitch' say?" she asked Paulo, with a grin.

"Nothing much," shrugged the hairstylist. "Cena showed up just after she did, so Beth ran off pretty quickly."

"I guess that's a good sign," mused the blonde, idly playing with her blusher brush. "Oh, guess who I ran into in the staff lounge?"

"Erm... Father Christmas?" asked Paulo facetiously.

"Close enough, as who I spoke to could give you all the gifts you'd ever need," teased the make up artist. "It was Jeff actually. I casually asked him if he's seeing anyone, and he said he's not."

The Latino looked at Charlotte with a curious mixture of delight, and trepidation. "That still doesn't mean he's interested in me though. For all we know, he could be as straight as the pole shoved up McMahon's ass," he joked.

"True," agreed the blonde, with a snigger. "However, at least you know he's available now, which is good."

"Yeah, now I won't have to cry myself to sleep every night, thinking he's out screwing super models," commented Paulo, frivolously.

Charlotte giggled, and the two friends got to work for the evening.

As usual, the first person needing the blonde's services was Orton. The make up artist marvelled at the fact that the wrestler always seemed to need something covering up.

As the 'Legend Killer' hopped onto the stool, Charlotte wondered what he could possibly want tonight; his face and arms looked fine to her.

"Charlie," he said, once more turning on the charm.

"Forget it, Orton. I'm immune to your powers," informed the blonde before the wrestler had even begun.

"All I was going to ask is if you're coming out with us night. I missed you on Monday," insisted Orton, with a fake pout.

"Of course you did, Randy," teased the make up artist. "I think what you really missed is my impeccable skills at picking out single women for you."

"Well, that as well," laughed the wrestler. "You know, I didn't hook up once without you there."

"Right, of course you didn't," replied Charlotte facetiously. "Then why did Candice tell me she saw an attractive redhead leaving your room on Tuesday morning?"

"Ok, you've got me there. Nothing stops the 'Legend Killer' from hooking up. Seriously though, I did miss you. Where were you all night?" he asked genuinely.

"At the hotel, I fancied an early night," Charlotte replied leaving out the fact she'd spent half the night drinking with Jericho. She knew Orton would assume the same thing the divas had, and the 'Legend Killer' had a reputation for being quite a gossip, among other things.

"Oh, ok," replied Orton, seemingly convinced by her story. Obviously he hadn't spoken to any of her friends yet. "But you're coming out tonight, right?"

"Of course. I've brought my dancing shoes with me especially," grinned the make up artist.

"Excellent," the wrestler replied, beaming back at her, as he jumped off the stool, and headed off up the corridor. "Well, I'll see you later, Charlie."

"Yeah, catch you later, Orton," she called back.

After Orton had left, Charlotte's night was pretty quiet, as she'd expected. Because it was just a houseshow, only two divas were appearing, and they didn't require as much make when they weren't on TV.

She and Paulo spent the rest of the evening chatting, and amusing themselves by dancing around their work area.

Finally, as the main event was approaching, something interesting happened. Just as Charlotte had started to pack her make up kit away, she heard someone hurrying down to corridor.

The blonde turned, and saw Jericho walking towards her, wearing an expression that clearly said he was worried about something.

"Hey, Chris. Everything ok?" she asked, jumping up on the stool, as the wrestler joined her, and leaned against the vanity table.

"Not really," sighed the wrestler, looking far less carefree than the blonde had seen him recently. "I had Abby for a few days when I was off from work, and then Debs said she couldn't collect her today. Apparently, she has some dinner meeting she can't miss, and no one else can look after Abby."

"Oh, Christ, what a pain," said Charlotte. "What have you done with Abby then? You haven't brought her to work with you, have you?"

The wrestler nodded and replied, "Yeah, I had to, I had no other choice. She's hanging out in my dressing room, bored to death."

"Poor girl," said Charlotte sympathetically, imagining how dull the eleven-year-old would find it sitting around an arena.

"The real problem is though, I have a match in five minutes, and I can't leave her in my dressing room alone," informed Jericho. "So, well, I was kind of hoping you'd watch her for me, please? It wouldn't be for long, only for the duration of my match, and I promise she isn't any trouble."

"Of course I will, Chris," replied Charlotte, without giving it a moment's thought. She hated the idea of Abigail being all alone, and was willing to offer her help in anyway she could. "Bring her round, and I'll keep an eye of her for you. Actually, if you want, I could have her for longer than your match, and then you'd have a chance to shower and change afterward."

"Are you sure you wouldn't mind, Charlotte? I mean, you've never met Abby, and I don't want to put you out or anything," protested the wrestler.

"I'm sure. We're friends, right? And friends have each others backs," insisted Charlotte with a grin, actually quite looking forwards to meeting the wrestler's daughter.

"Well, if you're sure, then I'm eternally grateful. You don't know how much this means to me, Charlie," said Jericho, embracing the blonde. "I'll run back and get her, and then head off to my match."

"Alright, I'll be right here. Just bring her over whenever you're ready," replied Charlotte.

"Ok," returned the wrestler, with a nod. "Hey, if you're hanging around after to show, to watch Abby while I change, do you want a ride back to the hotel? I mean, to save Paulo having to wait for you."

"Yeah, that would be great, thanks. Paulo likes to shoot off early, so he can get ready to go out, so I bet he'd really appreciate not having to wait for me," commented the make up artist.

"Ok, no problem," said Jericho heading off along the corridor. "I'll be back in five."

Less than three minutes later, the wrestler returned with who could only be Abigail. Just like in her picture, she had long, blonde hair, which curled around her face, and crystal blue eyes. At that moment, she was absorbed by the music she was listening to on her I-pod.

When they approached Charlotte, Jericho nudged his daughter, and told her to shut the music off.

"Charlotte, this is Abigail," he introduced. "Abby, this is my friend Charlotte. She said you can hang out with her during my match."

"Hey Abby," said the make up artist, grinning at the girl. "Great to meet you."

"Whatever," muttered the younger blonde, and then turned her I-pod back on.

"I'm sorry," apologized the wrestler. "She's all pissy with me because she's bored. She really isn't this sulky, usually. Give her a few minutes to stop acting all teenager, and I'm sure you'll get along fine."

Charlotte smiled, but looked hesitantly at Abigail, wondering what exactly she'd let herself in for.

"Yeah, I'm sure we will be," she said, with a slightly forced smile. "Now, quit worrying about us, and get to your match."

"Ok," agreed Jericho, and then turned to Abigail. "Be good for Charlotte, ok? And do whatever she asks you to," he said, kissing his daughter on the forehead. "I'll be as quick as I can, and I promise tomorrow, we'll go out and do something together."

"Ok, dad," replied Abigail, with a slight roll of her eyes, not even looking up at the wrestler.

Jericho turned back to Charlotte, and said thank you once more, before running off to his match. When he'd disappeared from view, the make up artist turned to Abigail.

"What you listening to?" she asked the girl.

"Probably a band you've never heard of," returned the younger blonde, not even looking up.

"Try me? I go out almost every night, so I'm pretty up to date with music and stuff," insisted the make up artist, suddenly feeling very old.

"Ok, have you heard of Matchbox Twenty?" asked Abigail indignantly.

"Erm, actually, no," confessed Charlotte, having never heard of the alternative rock band, as her music tastes catered more towards pop or country music.

"God, you're useless. They're like one of the biggest bands around," scoffed the girl. "I bet you listen to David Cassidy and stuff like that."

Charlotte laughed, despite herself, and replied. "Actually, my Mama likes David Cassidy. I'm into modern stuff, like Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake."

"Oh my god, how old are you? Like five?" taunted Abigail. "Britney is a talentless bimbo, and Justin Timberlake is only popular because he was in N'Sync and then dated Cameron Diaz."

"Fine," huffed Charlotte, taking slight offence. "I have horrible music taste."

"You do," agreed the younger blonde, and then went back to listening to her 'cool' music.

They both fell silent, as Abigail rapidly texted someone on her cell phone, and Charlotte flicked through a magazine. The make up artist had always had trouble relating to teenagers; younger children were fine, but for some reason anyone over the age of ten suddenly became surly and hard to talk to. It was ironic really, because at that age, Charlotte had been the most popular girl in high school and could do no wrong.

After the silence between Abigail and Charlotte had lasted for about ten minutes, the make up artist decided to risk another approach to bond with the girl, and asked her about school.

"So, do you enjoy school?" she inquired. "When I was at school, I loved it. I was head cheerleader, and everything."

"Great, so you're a Chimbo too," muttered Abigail, giving to make up artist a cold glare.

"I'm sorry, a what now?" asked Charlotte in disbelief, what had started as a friendly gesture really was turning out to make her feel old and stupid.

"You know, Chimbo? A Cheer-leading bimbo," teased the younger blonde, with a snide laugh.

"Oh, right," muttered the make up artist, turning away from Abigail, and beginning to put her kit away.

"What do you do around here, anyways?" asked the girl. "Are you like one of the wrestlers or something?"

"No," replied the older woman, turning with a pot of eye shadow in her hands. "I'm a make up artist. I make sure all the wrestlers and divas look presentable before they go out to the ring."

"Really? So you get to put make up on people all day?" inquired Abigail, and when Charlotte nodded, she continued, "Wow, that's kind of cool. I wish I knew how to put make up on, but mum and dad say I'm too young yet."

"I guess you are, but I started wearing make up at your age. How about I put a little on you now? And if you dad doesn't like it, I have this really nice cleanser that will take it right off," offered Charlotte. "Plus it leaves your skin really soft."

"Really? You'd put some make up on me?" asked Abigail, her blue eyes now lighting up with excitement, and when the blonde nodded for a second time, she added. "Could I try doing it too?"

"Maybe, we'll see how it goes," replied Charlotte, and then patted the stool. "Jump up here, and I'll get started."

Carefully, but quickly, the older blonde applied some subtle cosmetics to the girl's face, which consisted of a little blush, some mascara and her favourite strawberry scented lip gloss.

Abigail stared into the mirror, and then grinned broadly. "Thanks, Charlotte, it looks awesome. I look like all the older girls now. How did you learn all this stuff? Is it just something you find out as you grow up?"

"Kind of, but it's more complicated than that. My Mama was a beautician, so I grew up hanging out in her salon, and then when I went to college, I did a beauty degree," Charlotte explained.

"Wow, that is so cool. So, I bet at school, you were one of the prettiest girls there? I mean, if you knew how to do make up and stuff," asked the younger blonde.

Charlotte blushed, and shrugged her shoulders, not wanting to admit she'd been both Prom and Home Coming Queen, in case she sounded big headed or something.

"All girls at my school wear make up," continued Abigail. "And they're the ones who get the boyfriends. I wish boys liked me too."

"I wouldn't worry about it, Abby," reassured the make up artist. "Boys are fickle when it comes to girls. Give it a few years, and with your gorgeous looks, you'll be beating them off with a stick."

"You think I'm pretty, then?" questioned the girl eagerly.

"Of course you are. You have beautiful long blonde hair and stunning blue eyes. What boy wouldn't like that?" returned Charlotte.

"Jamie Phillips doesn't. He says I'm Emo, because I like Matchbox Twenty," sighed Abigail.

"Then Jamie Phillips is a jerk, if he judges you on your music taste alone," commented Charlotte, realizing she too could be as shallow as a school child at times. "Make up and music doesn't really matter; that's just trivial stuff. What counts is what's in your heart. If you're kind to people, then they'll like you."

"I guess," shrugged the girl. "I just wish sometimes that I was more popular. I mean, at first everyone thinks I'm cool, because dad is a wrestler, but then the novelty wears off, and no one talks to me as much."

"Well, then they're stupid. Ok, so it is kind of cool that your dad is a wrestler, but they should take the time to get to know the real you. I remember when I first started school, all that anyone cared about were the facts my dad was a football coach, and my big brother played quarter-back. However, after a few years, I began being myself, and people realized there was more to me than my family. Like I said, it's your attitude, and how you treat people," insisted the blonde.

"How do you mean? Like sucking up and stuff?" asked Abigail eagerly

"No, no. Nobody likes a suck up. I just mean by being yourself, and considerate to others. If someone drops something, pick it up for them, or if there's a new student, make the effort to make them feel welcome. Stuff like that," advised the make up artist kindly.

"You mean like Sunday school use to teach, 'do to others what you would have them do to you'?" questioned the younger blonde eagerly, hoping she'd got the right idea from Charlotte's words.

"Exactly," grinned the older woman. "As with all things in life, what you put in is what you get back."

"I understand now," beamed Abigail in reply. "Thanks Charlotte and I'm sorry about being mean to you before. I was just annoyed, because I was bored. You're not a Chimbo really, you're actually very cool."

"Thank you, Abby, and no need to apologize. Everyone has their off days, even me too. You should see me without my morning coffee, I'm a monster," said Charlotte facetiously.

Abigail laughed, and then took another look in the mirror, at her newly made up face. As the girl played with her hair, and Charlotte put the last of her make up kit away, Jericho returned.

"You girls had fun?" he asked, leaning up against the vanity table.

"Yeah, we did," grinned Abigail. "Charlotte put some make up on me."

"Sorry," said the make up artist sheepishly. "I hope you don't mind. It's just Abby was curious, and I didn't think it would do any harm. I can take it all off if it's a problem."

The wrestler looked at his daughter, who was now brushing her blonde locks and he grinned. Despite the fact he found his baby girl wearing make up a little scary, he was thrilled Charlotte and Abigail had gotten along so well. He'd been a little hesitant about leaving his daughter with the blonde, as Abigail had a habit of acting up for strangers at times. However, he was delighted that they'd bonded and had a good time, it just confirmed in his mind what a great friend he'd found in Charlotte.

"No, it's cool," he replied, with a warm smile. "Just don't wear it all the time, ok?"

"I won't, daddy," promised Abigail, with an innocent, doe-eyed look, and then went back to gazing in the mirror.

"So, how was it really?" asked Jericho, as he joined Charlotte, who was now sweeping the floor.

"Really? We had a great time," assured the blonde, not feeling the need to mention Abigail's earlier comments, now that the two had started getting along.

"That's great," replied the wrestler with a smile. "And thank you again, Charlie, I really appreciate you watching Abby for me."

"Anytime, Chris," returned the make up artist, with a smile of her own. "We had a lot of fun."

"That's good, because I'd hate to think you did me a favour, and then Abby gave you hassle," commented Jericho.

"Abby, give me trouble? Never, she's the perfect little angel, you should be really proud of her," complimented Charlotte.

"Oh, I am," agreed the wrester, wrapping his arms around his daughter. "You're my girl, right, munchkin?"

"Always," Abigail beamed back at him.

Charlotte stood watching the father and daughter together, and felt a twinge in her heart; the display of affection was one of the cutest things she'd ever seen.

After a few minutes, Jericho released Abigail from his embrace, and turned back to the make up artist.

"So, you ready to head back to the hotel, then?" he asked.

"Whenever you are," replied Charlotte, picking up her canvas bag, and making sure she had everything.

Then, Jericho, Charlotte and Abigail made their way to the wrestler's rental car. On their way back to the hotel, the stopped off at a local Burger King, and Jericho brought them all some food.

"Yum, this cheeseburger is so good," grinned the make up artist, as they continued on their journey.

"It looks it," said the wrestler ruefully. "It makes me wish I'd had one instead of chicken wings now."

"Here, have some," she offered, leaning across to car, and allowing him to take a bite.

"Damn, you're right. That is good," agreed Jericho, licking mayo off his fingers.

Finally, they arrived back at the hotel, and Charlotte caught the lift with the wrestler and his daughter to the floor they were stopping on.

A now very tired Abigail headed to her room, as Jericho and the blonde said goodnight.

"Thanks again for looking after Abby," he said, leaning back against the door.

"It was my pleasure," replied the make up artist genuinely. "If you ever need me to watch her again, just ask."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind," said the wrestler, as Charlotte stifled a yawn.

"God, I'm sorry. It's been a long day," she admitted.

"I'll let you get your beauty sleep then," teased Jericho, with a wink.

"What are you trying to imply?" she shot back, with a cheeky grin. "Seriously though, I better head off, before I fall asleep in the hallway."

"Alright, Charlie. Sleep well, and I'll catch you at work tomorrow," he returned.

"Not if I catch you first," teased Charlotte, and then leaned forwards to brush something off his cheek. Jericho looked at the blonde questioningly for a moment, and then she explained. "You had a bit of mayo on your face."

They both burst out laughing, and then the wrestler said, "And you let me walk into the hotel, looking like an idiot?"

"Honey, you do that all on your own," the blonde replied facetiously, before heading back to the elevator.

With one last look over her shoulder, Charlotte saw Jericho still standing by his door, grinning at her.


	6. I think we might have a big problem

**Author's Notes: **I'd like to thank **Fozzy-Floozy, Westfan, WWESupernatural102292, Super T, cassymae **and** Disco Inferno1** for your awesome reviews for chapter five. I'm glad y'all enjoyed it, and I always appreciate the comments and support. Additionally, thanks to Disco Inferno1 for your review of chapter four!

Finally, I'd like to thank both Gin (Disco Inferno1, User ID: 339498) and Karen (IMissPadfoot, User ID: 1133633) for your comments and help with this chapter. Love ya both very much!

* * *

**Chapter Six: I think we might have a big problem.**

That afternoon, over lunch, Candice, Maria and Kelly insisted that Charlotte had to come out with them that night after work. After ditching her friends on no less then two occasions in the past week, the blonde happily agreed.

When the make up artist complained again about her disastrous love life, the divas suggested the idea of hitting a bar - instead of a night club - that night. That way, maybe Charlotte would have more of a chance at talking to guys and getting to know them better.

Agreeing, only to stop her friends badgering her, the make up artist headed up to her room to grab her purse before meeting Paulo in the hotel lobby, so that they could travel to work together.

For once, work was quiet for the blonde. Unusually so, actually. Not that Charlotte minded, though, because that meant she had plenty of time to relax.

Idly the make up artist flicked though a glossy magazine, noting that she needed a new coat as the winter months approached.

"Oh, that's nice," commented Paulo, looking at the picture over her shoulder.

"Yeah, I might buy it next week when we're paid," returned Charlotte.

"I need to get some new boots before I buy a new coat," commented the hairstylist, showing her his cowboy boots, which had a small hole in the left toe.

Returning to her magazine, the make up artist pointed out some footwear for Paulo.

"Thanks, honey," he said, taking the page she'd pulled out for him. "I might head to the mall next week, and hunt them down. Fancy joining me?"

"For a shopping spree?" questioned the blonde eagerly, and when the Latino nodded, she replied, "Always."

The rest of the evening passed pretty quickly, only Randy Orton, Candice and Melina needing Charlotte's services that night. Charlotte was thankful that Beth Phoenix didn't show her face, and dampen her good mood.

As always, the 'Legend Killer' was quick to turn on the charm, as the blonde covered up the bruise the wrestler had acquired the previous night. In addition, Orton didn't fail to ask if Charlotte would be joining him in a club later.

"Sorry, Orton, you're going to have to survive another night without my wonderful company," she replied, with a grin. "I promised the girls we'd have a night out together."

"You don't love me any more," pouted the wrestler, faking a hurt look.

"Who said I ever loved you?" returned Charlotte facetiously.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot. Jericho has already stolen your heart," commented Orton, with a wink. "I suppose it's because he has pretty blond hair. God and people say I'm shallow."

The make up artist was about to protest, when someone behind her spoke.

"What's this about my pretty hair?" asked Jericho, with an amused grin. "Jealous are we, Orton? Thinking of getting hair extensions?"

Despite the embarrassment Charlotte felt at having the Canadian wrestler overhearing her and Orton's conversation, she couldn't help the laugh that escaped her mouth at his taunt.

"You know, Paulo would be happy to arrange something," she teased, an amused smile curling her own lips.

Orton looked at the couple through narrowed eyes, then huffed and stalked off. As he departed, Charlotte and Jericho could have sworn they heard the wrestler muttering, "Stupid Goldilocks."

"Did he just call me Goldilocks?" asked the Canadian, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Yup," grinned the make up artist. "I'd kick his ass for that."

"Believe me, I will next week," replied Jericho, an evil smile playing on his face. "Anyway, Charlie, I was just dropping by to thank you again for watching Abby yesterday."

"I told you, it's not a problem," assured the blonde warmly, as she hopped onto the stool Orton had not long vacated.

The wrestler jumped onto the vanity table besides her, and looked at the make up artist with an amused expression on his face.

"What?" questioned Charlotte, feeling the heat rising in her cheeks. "Do I have food on my chin or something?"

"No, no. I was just thinking about how well you and Abby got along is all," replied the wrestler, with a far away look in his eyes. "You know, she never usually takes to a stranger so quickly. You must have said something special to her."

Again, the blonde felt her face getting warmer, and she had to look away from the Canadian for a second.

"It was nothing," she protested finally. "All I did was be myself."

"Well then, it must be your amazing personality and wonderful kindness that charmed her," reasoned Jericho with a grin.

"Get lost," teased the make up artist. "You're just saying that because you're after something. Come on, spit it out, what do you want?"

"Nothing," insisted the wrestler, looking slightly hurt. "I, unlike Orton, can pay a woman a compliment without any ulterior motives."

"Oh, ok," replied the blonde, looking away sheepishly. "Sorry. I guess I'm just so used to him trying it on that I got suspicious."

"Well, I can't say I blame you. I swear, Orton doesn't turn the charm off for even a second," the wrestler said facetiously.

"Unlike you?" teased Charlotte, with a cocked eyebrow.

Jericho laughed, and shook his head. "Trust me, if I was turning on the charm, you'd know about it. I am a sexy beast after all."

The make up artist burst into hysterical laughter, that didn't stop for a whole two minutes. "If you insist, Chris," she finally said, wiping a tear from her eye.

"Well, if you're going out later, I'll prove it to you," challenged the Canadian, a defiant look in his blue eyes.

"Sorry, honey, as much as I'd love to see you work your mojo, I'm heading out with the girls tonight," replied the blonde, a little half-heartedly.

"Shame," said the wrestler, with a small frown. "But I suppose I've stolen you away from them enough recently."

"And how they won't let me forget that," remarked Charlotte wistfully.

"So, where are you heading? Anywhere nice?" asked Jericho, apparently recovering from his disappointment that Charlotte wouldn't be joining him later.

"Just some bar, I think," answered the blonde with a shrug. "The divas seemed to have gotten it into their heads that I'll meet guys easier somewhere quiet."

For a moment, the Canadian looked troubled that the make up artist was going out with the plan to hook up, but then he recovered himself quickly.

"Sounds fun," he commented with disinterest.

"I guess," Charlotte shrugged again. "Just as long as I'm not paired with some loser like the guy I had dinner with the other night."

Again, Jericho seemed to stiffen when the blonde mentioned her romantic life, and Charlotte figured that a guy who had only broken up from his wife eighteen months ago didn't need reminding of single behaviour.

"So, how's the book tour going?" she asked trying to change the subject.

Thankfully, the track change worked, and the Canadian seemed to brighten up at her question.

"Fun, but tiring," he answered with a smile. "As much as I enjoy meeting all the fans, I'll be glad when I can finally get some decent rest."

"I bet," said Charlotte, not enjoying the thought of going without her regular beauty sleep. "How long have you got left?"

"A couple of weeks. Until the next pay per view, I think," replied Jericho, thoughtfully. "Then it'll be the chaos of Christmas approaching. I have no idea what I'm going to do this year, especially as I'm sharing custody of Abby with Debbs. I mean, my apartment isn't really big enough to hold a huge Christmas dinner or anything."

"How about the rest of your family? Could you and Abby not visit them?" inquired Charlotte, hating the idea of the wrestler and his daughter spending the holidays alone, in a tiny apartment.

"Yeah, I think that's what we will do, go and visit my parents in Winnipeg," he answered, still looking as though he was trying to formulate a plan in his mind. "You know, it really is quite beautiful up there over the holiday, what with all the snow. I bet Abby would love it if I took her ice skating."

"Oh, it sounds lovely," sighed Charlotte, a far away look in her eyes as she imagined it. "We hardly ever get snow in Mississippi, and what I wouldn't give for a white Christmas. There's something so magical about the holiday season, when there's a chill in the air, and you can snuggle up under a blanket, with a cup of hot chocolate."

Jericho smiled at her, and then said, "You really should visit Canada some time, you'd love it."

"Yeah, that would be nice," said the blonde, with a grin. "I've only been there a couple of times, but because it was with work, it's always been so fast that I never gets to see much of it. I'd love the chance to look around properly for a few days. You'll have to give me some recommendations of places to visit."

"I will," replied the Canadian, with a grin of his own. "Actually, if you ever go, maybe we could meet up, and I'll give you a tour of some places around where I grew up?"

"That'd be awesome," replied Charlotte, now beaming at the wrestler. "Right, as much as I'd love to continue chatting all night, I really need to be packing up."

Jericho looked at his watch and nodded. "Yeah, I need to shower and change," he agreed.

As they both jumped down from their sitting places, the Canadian looked for a moment as though he wanted to say something to Charlotte, but then he just he wished her a good night, and said he'd catch her later.

"Thanks, Chris," she called, as the wrestler made his way down the corridor. "You too, and I'll see you soon."

Jericho looked back over his shoulder, and winked at her, before continuing on his way.

* * *

That night, dressed in a slinky red dress, and complementing make up, Charlotte and her friends headed to a local bar. The three divas insisted that the blonde should at least try to talk to every guy in the room.

"Y'all really need a new hobby," teased the make up artist, as they entered an establishment called Cascades, which had been decorated with a water theme.

Inside the bar - that had cerulean walls, wooden panelled flooring, crystalline ornaments and a water fountain in the middle of the room – Charlotte, Candice, Kelly and Maria found it to be very quiet.

The quartet assumed that there were only locals here, and the more hardcore party goers were at a night club. However, the atmosphere was relaxed and cheery.

They all settled at an available table near the water fountain, and then Charlotte got the first round of drinks in.

Setting down a rum and coke for herself – and a glass of wine for Candice, a vodka and lemonade for Kelly and a tequila cocktail for Maria - Charlotte turned to her friends, and asked, "So, did y'all have a good evening at work?"

The divas all nodded as they took sips of their drinks.

"Yeah, it was pretty quiet," commented Candice, with a shrug.

"And thankfully, Beth was absent," added Maria, grinning.

"I noticed," said the make up artist, with a smile. "I was actually half expecting her to stir things up, but she didn't."

"Hopefully, she's got bored of being a bitch," mused Kelly, praying the 'Glamazon' had finally decided to leave them alone.

"Yeah," agreed the other divas and make up artist.

"So, how was your night?" asked Maria with a sly grin. "Have any interesting visitors?"

"No, just Orton and his huge ego," teased Charlotte, conveniently leaving out her lengthy conversation with Jericho.

"So, no blonde Canadians popped by?" asked Kelly eagerly.

"Of course not, silly, Edge is on Smackdown now," replied the make up artist flatly, knowing exactly where this conversation was heading.

"Not what Orton told us," insisted Candice. "According to him, you were cozying up with Jericho again."

Charlotte blushed so deeply, her face was now matching her dress. "We chatted for like five minutes. You know what Orton is like for gossip, I wouldn't believe a word that came from his mouth," she lied.

The divas looked at the make up artist sceptically, but didn't broach the subject further.

Instead, Maria asked, "So, have you spotted any hot guys you like the look of?"

The blonde scanned the room, and then shook her head. "Nah, no one in here really."

Charlotte did have a very valid point. Aside from herself and the divas, there were only a handful of locals in the bar, most of who were either coupled off or over fifty.

An hour passed as the quartet chatted happily over a few more rounds of drinks. Slowly, the bar began to fill up with customers, who had apparently been elsewhere until now.

Now that the establishment was filling up with high spirited drinkers, the divas thought it was an appropriate time for Charlotte to get out and meet some people.

"I don't know, girls. I don't really fancy it tonight," protested the blonde glancing around the room. "Can't we just have a few more drinks and then head back to the hotel?"

"Charlie, how are you ever going to meet Mr. Right, and stop moping around with an attitude like that?" insisted Maria, nudging her friend.

"Maria is right," added Kelly, eagerly. "There's some really hot guys over there, you should go and talk to them. For all you know, the man of your dreams could be sitting right across the room."

The blonde rolled her eyes, and then said, "Ok, but let me go and powder my nose first."

Rising from her chair, Charlotte was surprised when her friends didn't follow. However, she welcomed the time alone, away from their constant badgering.

While the divas were a lot of fun, and the most loyal friends you could ever ask for, their obsession with setting up the make up artist was growing a little tiresome. She wished they could go back to the days of shopping endlessly, and drinking all night, before this fixation with getting her paired off had started.

Originally, it had been their way of helping the blonde 'get back on the horse', after former WWE sound technician, Dylan Jackson, had broken her heart. Then, Charlotte had been happy to go along with the quest to find a new man. Hell, her biological clock was ticking, and if she wanted that perfect husband, two point four children and house with a white picket fence, she'd always dreamt about, she had to act soon. Nowadays, however, dating had become a real chore. All the make up artist wanted was someone she could have fun with, and snuggle up to at the end of the night.

Returning from the restroom, Charlotte found her table deserted, and scanned the room for her friends. Each diva was in a different corner of the room, chatting to groups of guys.

Rolling her eyes, the blonde knew exactly what her friends had done. Assuming she wouldn't bite the bullet herself, the divas had seen it as their friendly duty to find available men for her.

Resigned to the fact that they'd never go back to the hotel, unless she had at least one phone number and dinner arrangement made, Charlotte walked over to Candice.

"Hey Candy," she said, announcing her arrival at the table where three men in business suits were sitting.

"Charlie," replied the diva with a huge grin. "Come and meet my new friends. This is James, Ryan and David."

The 'Go Daddy' girl pointed at each male in turn, who all nodded their heads at the blonde.

"Pleased to meet you," said Charlotte politely, smiling over at the guys.

Even if she didn't appreciate her friends interfering, she knew how to be well mannered.

The group got to chatting, and it turned out James, Ryan and David were all I.T consultants for the same local company.

James had short, spiky blonde hair and was the chattiest of the group. Apparently he loved sports, and travelling.

David, the brunette and baby of the men gathered, was the quieter, but also the funniest of the group. While he said little about himself, when he did speak, he always had something amusing to say.

And then there was Ryan. By far, he was the most attractive of the three to Charlotte. He had dark, curly hair and mysterious brooding eyes. He said next to nothing, but had a sensual enigmatic air about him, that the blonde was instantly drawn to.

As they continued talking, and sharing a few more drinks, Charlotte found herself becoming more and more attracted to Ryan.

The way he sipped on his bourbon, for instance, was so arousing to the make up artist, that she had to look away every time he took a drink of his beverage.

When Ryan asked Charlotte if she'd like another drink, and she heard his husky voice, the make up artist swooned inside.

Nodding her head, the blonde followed the I.T consultant to the bar. As she did so, Candice looked across the room at the other two divas and grinned.

"So, how long are you in town for?" Ryan asked, as he and Charlotte took stools at the bar.

The sound of his throaty accent memorized the blonde, and she took a few moments before she answered him.

"Just today, unfortunately," she informed, sadly. "I travel from state to state with work you see, and we fly out tomorrow morning."

"That's a shame. I was hoping you'd agree to have dinner with me tomorrow night," said Ryan, slight disappointment tingeing his voice.

"We're only in the next state over however, so maybe we could arrange something?" Charlotte suggested hopefully.

"I'd like that," said the dark-haired man. "I'm owed a few days off from work, for all the overtime I put in last month. How about I see if I can get the day off, fly out to where you are and take you out for the evening?"

"Really? You wouldn't mind doing that, just to see me for a few hours?" questioned the make up artist eagerly. Despite only knowing Ryan for a few hours, she was fast becoming convinced he could be the man of her dreams.

The I.T consultant nodded. "Of course not, Charlotte. I really like you, and would love to get to know you better," he admitted, with the first smile she'd seen on his perfectly formed lips all evening.

The sight of him looking at her through those brooding eyes made Charlotte's heart flip flop inside her chest.

"Well, I'd be honored to have dinner with you," she said with a deep blush.

Ryan smiled again, and the blonde felt her heart melting. From the corner of her eyes she saw the divas – who were once again all seated together- giving her the thumbs up.

As Maria, Candice and Kelly chatted among themselves – the guys having gone off to do their own thing, once the divas were no longer paying them attention – Charlotte and Ryan continued talking.

The I.T consultant said very little, but was more than happy to listen to anything and everything the blonde had to say.

He seemed enthralled by her tales of working on the road with the WWE, and laughed with delighted eyes, as the make up artist told him what growing up in Mississippi had been like.

As the night drew to an end, Charlotte was feeling very hopeful about her date with Ryan the following evening, and was even planning what they could do on their second date, and when she'd be free to see him for it.

Eventually, the owner of the bar announced it was closing time and all the customers filled out.

David and James left first, saying good-bye to Ryan and that they would see him at work.

Candice, Maria and Kelly left next, telling Charlotte she should spend a little more time alone with Ryan, and that they'd all be waiting for her at the hotel.

The blonde nodded, agreeing happily, as she waved her friends off in their cab.

Finally, it was just Ryan and Charlotte left alone, waiting for cabs of their own.

"Would it be alright if I rode back to the hotel with you?" asked the I.T consultant, huskily. "I want to know you get back safely."

The make up artist was touched by the sentiment, and grinned. "That would be really nice," she murmured.

Soon enough, a taxi came, and the couple climbed in. The blonde rested her head on the dark-haired man's shoulder, as he gently stroked the golden tresses.

"I had a really great time tonight," he whispered softly, as he squeezed her knee.

"Me too," replied Charlotte, in the same soft tone, patting his thigh.

When they arrived at the make up artist's hotel, they both stepped out of the cab, and Ryan gave the driver a few bills to hang around for a few minutes.

"I'll call you tomorrow, Charlotte," said Ryan, pulling the blonde towards him.

"I'll be waiting," she purred in reply, closing her eyes.

As her lids fluttered shut, Charlotte felt the press of lips on her own, and her heart beat rapidly in her chest.

The kiss was slow and gentle, but full of passion. The make up artist felt herself swoon in Ryan's arms.

As he pulled away, the dark-haired man looked at her through his deep and brooding eyes.

"Good night, Charlotte," he whispered, leaving one final peck on her lips.

"Good night, Ryan," she sighed in reply, feeling as though she'd had water suddenly taken from her, now that they were no longer embracing.

The make up artist watched the I.T consultant as he walked back to the cab, and then – walking on air- she entered the hotel.

True to their word, Candice, Maria and Kelly were waiting in the bar for Charlotte. However, someone she hadn't been expecting to see was also sitting with the divas. The blonde felt a strange squirming in her stomach, as she entered the room, and Jericho turned to look at her.

"Have a good night?" the wrestler asked, as she sat down besides him.

"The best," replied Charlotte dreamily.

The Canadian, noticing her smudged lip stick, suddenly became very interested in the bottle of beer in front of him.

"How about you?" she asked, subconsciously resting her head on his shoulder.

The wrestler abruptly moved away, and cast the make up artist a cold glare.

"Was alright," he muttered, turning his head away from her.

A long and awkward silence followed, the divas afraid to ask Charlotte about her good-night kiss from Ryan, with Jericho around.

"Well, I'm going to bed," the Canadian announced finally, standing up and leaving his half empty bottle of beer on the table.

Without saying anything more, or looking back at the four women, Jericho stalked out of the bar, and off to his hotel room.

"What got up his ass?" asked Charlotte after the wrestler had departed. She was utterly perplexed at his strange behaviour; he'd been just fine with her earlier on that evening.

The divas all exchanged meaningful glances, but didn't enlighten the blonde.

"Y'all have gone insane," huffed the make up artist. "I'm going to bed."

Charlotte said goodnight and hugged each of her friends in turn, before leaving the bar, and heading up to her room. She was still slightly baffled as to why Jericho was being so cold with her, but the memory of kissing Ryan soon pushed that worry out of her head.

Once Charlotte had gone, Candice turned to Maria and Kelly, and then said, "I think we might have a big problem."


	7. “Your what?”

**Author's Notes: **I'd like to thank** Valkyrie MISSILE, Fozzy-Floozy, Westfan, Super T, Disco Inferno1 **and** jada951 **for your awesome reviews for chapter six. I'm glad y'all enjoyed it, and I always appreciate the comments and support.

Additionally, I'd like to thank both Gin (Disco Inferno1, User ID: 339498) and Karen (IMissPadfoot, User ID: 1133633) for your comments and help with this chapter. Love ya both very much!

* * *

**Chapter Seven: "Your what?" **

Charlotte's day at work could not end quickly enough for her. The blonde was still walking on air after meeting Ryan Thomas, an I.T consultant, from Maryland, at a bar the night before.

The dark-haired, brooding man had called the make up artist that morning, saying he'd managed to secure the day off work, and was flying over to Richmond, Virginia, so he could take her out for dinner.

The blonde had high hopes for the date; they'd shared an amazing good-night kiss the night before, and had made a wonderful connection as they'd chatted in the bar.

Charlotte really was starting to think that she'd found someone special in Ryan, and felt sure he was someone she could have a meaningful relationship with.

Sadly, however, luck just wasn't on her side that day. Instead of having the quiet and relaxing day she hoped for, everything that could go wrong, did go wrong.

Firstly, Paulo was late for work, and Charlotte had to style two wrestlers' hair herself. It wasn't too bad, as she had taken hair styling in college, but it was a stress she could have done without.

Then, somehow, Maria had managed to walk into a door during her afternoon at the hotel, and so Charlotte had to cover up a big purple bruise on the side of the diva's face.

"So, are you looking forwards to your date tonight?" asked the petite brunette, hopping on the stool.

"Like you wouldn't believe," replied the blonde, dabbing concealer on her friend's face.

"Where's Ryan taking you?" Maria inquired, trying but failing to keep still, as Charlotte dusted setting powder across the covered bruise.

"Out to dinner, I think," replied the make up artist. "I'm not sure though, he didn't really say."

"Oh, right," said Maria. "Are you sure not knowing where you're going is a good idea? I mean, what happens if you get all dressed up, and Ryan takes you somewhere really dull? Or how about if you end up going somewhere you don't like?"

"Well, I'm sure wherever we're going will be really nice. Ryan said he wanted to spoil me, and you saw what he was like at the bar, he's loaded. I can't imagine us just going out for pizza or something," mused Charlotte, now beginning to wonder what exactly her date tonight would entail.

"And you're sure Ryan is the guy for you?" pressed the diva. "I mean, you've only just met him, and remember how things turned out with Mark. You really liked him too, and he ended up boring you to death."

"I know that, but with Ryan it's different. I had more of a chance to get to know him last night, and we really made a connection," insisted the blonde. "Besides, wasn't it you, Candice and Kelly who suggested I go to the bar in the first place? Don't tell me y'all are changing your minds."

"No, we're not," assured the diva. "It's just, well, you're our friend and we don't want to see you getting hurt. Also, you seem to be falling for Ryan pretty quickly. We don't want you rushing into things, and making a mistake, when there could be the perfect guy out there for you."

"And how do you know Ryan isn't the perfect guy for me?" asked Charlotte. "I told you, I'm sick of going on dates that lead to nothing. I genuinely feel Ryan and I could have something together."

"Yeah, but couldn't you find that with someone else? I don't know, maybe someone from work, who you're already friends with?" suggested the brunette.

"Maria, the only guys I'm friends with around here are Paulo, Orton and Cena. Obviously Paulo is out of the question, Orton isn't the settling down type, and Ellie would skin me alive if I hooked up with Cena," the make up artist pointed out.

"What about Jericho?" asked the diva hopefully.

The blonde couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Oh, don't start this again. What is your obsession with me and Chris getting together? You never acted like this when I first met Orton or Cena, so how is it any different now?"

"Erm, it's not, I guess. I just thought, because y'all are hanging out so much, that maybe there was something there," replied Maria, almost falling over herself to find an answer her friend would believe.

"Ok, so we hang out a lot, and we get on really well, but that doesn't mean anything," insisted Charlotte, utterly baffled where her friend could have gotten the idea that something was going on between herself and the wrestler.

"Yeah, you're right, Charlie. I was just being silly, because y'all work together, so it would make things easier in a way," explained the brunette, jumping off the stool and looking into the mirror. "I'm sorry; I hope you and Ryan have a really great time together."

"Thanks, Maria, I really appreciate you saying that. I like Ryan a lot, and want my friends to approve of him," sighed Charlotte dreamily.

"And we do," insisted the diva, almost a little too eagerly. However, Charlotte didn't seem to notice, because she'd slipped off into her own dream world again. "Right, I better head to my match. Will you meet us later, before your date?"

"Of course," returned the blonde, with a grin. "I'll see you in the hotel bar, because I think I'll need a few drinks to calm my nerves."

Maria nodded, embraced the make up artist, and then headed off down the corridor.

Charlotte was left pondering her friend's words, and felt her stomach bubble with excitement as she thought about her date later that evening. She really hoped everything with Ryan would go perfectly.

As the make up artist sat idly waiting for someone else to need her services, she thought about what she was going to wear that night. Not knowing she was going to end up meeting someone, and going on a date with them, the blonde hadn't really packed anything special. However, she always carried a classic 'date outfit' in her suitcase just in case. The little black cocktail dress and stiletto shoes would have to do. Hopefully with some accessories, her hair styled and some make up, she'd look presentable.

Jarring her out of her thoughts, Charlotte heard the sound of heeled shoes tapping their way down the corridor. The blonde looked up, and inwardly groaned when she saw Beth Phoenix approaching her, but vowed not to let the diva ruin her good mood.

"I want you to fix my make up before I go out to the ring," demanded the 'Glamazon', fixing Charlotte with a piercing glare.

"Sure thing. Hop up onto the stool, and I'll see what I can do," replied the make up artist as amicably as she could, given the way Beth was looking at her.

The diva nodded curtly and jumped onto the stool, flicking her long blonde hair out of the way as she did.

Unusually for Charlotte, she didn't try to make any small talk, as she applied the Glamazon's make up.

Normally, the make up artist would ask whoever she was making over how their day had been, or what their plans were for that evening – even if she didn't know them very well. However, with Beth, she didn't really care, because knowing the diva, trying to be polite would only result in a nasty reply.

Finally, it was the 'Glamazon' that broke the silence between the two women.

"Rumour has it, you have a date tonight," sneered Beth. "Now tell me, who would be sad enough to take you out. Is he blind and deaf?"

"Get lost, Beth," Charlotte replied. "Ryan is very nice actually, and I, unlike you, can get man without having to drop my panties first. So, tell me now, who's that sad one, huh?"

The diva laughed in Charlotte's face, and then replied, "I'm sure Ryan will be the sad one, once he finally sleeps with you. When he sees you naked, with that horrible roll of fat you hide under those jeans, I'm sure he'll run a mile."

The blonde was left speechless, as Beth jumped down off the stool, admired herself in the mirror, shook out her long hair, and then sauntered away.

The make up artist knew she wasn't a stick thin model like some of the girls around her, but she'd always thought she'd had quite a nice body; she had after all, been a cheerleader in High School. However, Beth's taunts had made Charlotte wonder if Ryan would feel the same, if they ever got to that stage in the relationship. In her mind, he was perfect; good looking, intelligent, funny and in a high powered job. All this made the blonde wonder if she was actually good enough for someone as seemingly immaculate as Ryan.

Feeling insecure, Charlotte knew only one thing would make her feel better—chocolate. So, she headed down the corridor to the staff lounge, to grab herself a Kitkat and a can of Coke.

Entering the room, the blonde found Jericho lying across the couch, one hand behind his head, the other idly flicking through a music magazine.

After buying her sugary snacks, the make up artist sat down on the chair besides him and smiled.

"Hey, Chris, how's things?" she inquired warmly.

"Yeah, fine" replied the wrestler shortly, not even looking up from his magazine.

Charlotte was momentarily startled by the Canadian's reply, as usually when they saw each other, they'd slip into easy and relaxed conversation. However, today Jericho seemed tense and not quite himself.

Figuring it was merely tiredness, the blonde tried again.

"So, how's Abigail?" she asked.

"She's good, thanks," answered the wrestler with a shrug, again not making eye contact with the make up artist.

"That's good. Tell her I said 'hi'?" returned Charlotte.

"Sure," said Jericho, and then stood up from the couch. "Erm, I've got things to do. See you around Charlotte."

Then, without looking back at the blonde, or waiting for her to say anything else, the wrestler left.

Charlotte stared at the door that the Canadian had just walked though, wondering what she could have done to make him act so coldly towards her. They'd been just fine at work yesterday, and as far as the blonde could see, nothing had changed since then.

Putting down Jericho's callousness to lack of sleep, and stress, Charlotte tried to shake the hurt feeling out of her head. However, his coldness cut her like a knife, because she honestly thought they'd formed a close friendship in the weeks that they'd known each other. Obviously, she'd been wrong, the blonde regretfully thought to herself.

* * *

That evening, when Charlotte returned to the hotel to get ready for her date, all of Beth's taunts and Jericho's coldness had slipped from the blonde's mind. All the make up artist cared about at that moment, was seeing Ryan and what they'd be doing together.

After saying good night to Paulo, and arranging with the hairstylist a shopping trip for the following day, Charlotte headed up to her hotel room to get ready.

Thankfully, her room mate, Ashley, had already been and gone, even remembering to leave enough hot water for the blonde.

Jumping into the shower, Charlotte washed herself, and made sure she was all neatly groomed for her date, and then slipped into her black cocktail dress. She then did her make up, with smoky eyes and red vampish lip stick, before styling her hair down and perfectly straight.

Then, after grabbing her wrap and purse, Charlotte made sure all her appliances were off and that the hotel room was tidy, before heading down to the bar to meet her friends for a quick drink, and waiting for Ryan to collect her.

As the make up artist scanned the room for her friends, she saw – with relief - that Beth was no where in sight. Then she spotted Jericho and smiled over to him, however, the wrestler didn't even return her gaze.

Thinking nothing of it – as she was too excited about her date – the blonde made her way over to Candice, Maria and Kelly.

"Oh, you look beautiful," cooed Kelly, pouring her friend a glass of wine, from the bottle they were all sharing.

"Thanks," beamed Charlotte, taking the drink and having a sip. "I just hope Ryan agrees with you."

Maria whispered something to Candice that Charlotte didn't quite hear, and then turned to the make up artist, "I'm sure he will."

"I hope so," the blonde sighed dreamily. "Because he's so perfect, and I just want tonight to go well."

The divas exchanged a look, and again Maria whispered something to the other two, that Charlotte didn't quite catch.

"Ok, girls, what's going on?" questioned the make up artist. "Y'all have been acting kind of odd since last night. First of all there was the look you gave me in the bar, when I was telling you about the kiss Ryan and I shared, and then today Maria was questioning me about if Ryan was the right guy for me. Do you not like him or something? Or am I missing a part of the puzzle, because I thought y'all would be happy for me."

Candice looked hastily around the room, and then said, "No, we do like him, Charlie. We're just worried you're falling for him too quickly, is all."

"And so what if I am?" demanded Charlotte, rising from her seat. "Ryan is a nice guy, and I honestly think we could have something special together. Please, can't you just be happy for me?"

"We are," the divas replied in unison.

"We hope you have a great night," assured Kelly, with a slightly forced smile.

"Good, because I've got to go and meet Ryan in the lobby in a minute, and I'd hate to think there's something you're not telling me," returned the blonde, making sure she had her wrap and purse.

"There isn't," insisted Maria, looking across the room. "You go and have a great time. We'll be waiting for you in here when you get back, and then you can tell us all how wonderful it was."

"Ok," said Charlotte, with a grin. "Well, I have my cell with me, in case I need an excuse to leave, but I really doubt I will. I'll see you in a few hours, girls. Have an awesome night, because I know I will."

With one final beaming smile at her friends, Charlotte downed the rest of her wine, and then crossed the hotel bar, and made her way to the lobby. As she did, the blonde caught Jericho's eyes, and the wrestler gave her a strange look that was somewhere between disappointment and aloofness.

Shaking the feeling that something wasn't quite right from her head, the make up artist looked around the lobby for Ryan.

The IT consultant was waiting near the reception desk - wearing a tailored black suit, with a wine coloured tie - and had a large bouquet of red roses in his arms.

"Charlotte," he greeted, extending his arms widely. "These are for you."

"Thank you," replied the blonde, taking the flowers from him and blushing deeply. "They really are beautiful."

"Well, they're only fitting, given how ravishing you look tonight," complimented the dark-haired man.

"Oh, you're too kind," giggled the make up artist, with another blush. "You really do spoil me. Taking a day off and flying out here to see me, and then buying me flowers too. I'm really very honoured."

"It's my pleasure," replied Ryan, taking the make up artist's hand, and leading her outside, and to an available cab, before informing, "I've booked us a table at La Grotta for half an hour's time."

The blonde's eyes widened, La Grotta was one of Richmond's most exclusive Italian restaurants.

"Oh my god, that's wonderful. Whenever I've been in town, I've always wanted to go to La Grotta, but it's constantly been fully booked. How on earth did you get a table there at such short notice?" she asked in awe.

"I have my connections," replied the dark-haired man smoothly, as they climbed into the cab. "So, how was your day at work?"

"It was good, thanks. How about you? What have you done with yourself all day?" returned Charlotte.

"Oh, nothing much, just paperwork, I don't want to bore you with the details though," insisted Ryan, leaning across the seat of the taxi, to kiss the blonde on the cheek. "Tell me more about your day,"

"There's not much to tell really," protested the make up artist. "I had lunch with Candice, Kelly and Maria, and then headed to the arena for the show. It was pretty boring to be honest, apart from the run-in I had with Beth Phoenix. She's one of the divas for the WWE, and for some unknown reason absolutely hates me."

"How could anyone hate you?" asked the IT consultant, turning on the charm, and making the blonde feel like she was the most important person in the world.

"I don't know what it is, she's just a real stuck up bitch. I've never done anything to cross her, and yet she makes it her personal mission to taunt me given any chance she gets. She has a real issue with my figure, and always calls me 'piglet'," sighed the make up artist in reply, feeling a little foolish for confessing all of this to Ryan.

However, the dark-haired man seemed eager to listen, and when she'd finished, he said with a warm smile, "She makes fun of your weight? That's just horrible. I think you look perfect, and I don't see why anyone would say anything different. She's obviously jealous because you're so beautiful," he insisted.

Again, Charlotte turned bright red from the compliment, and then smiled as Ryan took her hand and helped her out of the taxi.

When her eyes fell on the restaurant, she was overwhelmed; it was even more stylish than she'd been told.

The front of the building was adorned with fairy lights, and a red carpet lined the pavement just outside the establishment.

As they were led in by one of the door greeters, the blonde's eyes swept the room. It was a large restaurant, decorated in a modern style, with rich colours. Small, candle-lit tables lined the sumptuous burgundy coloured carpet.

They were shown to their table, which was cozy and looked out onto a small stream, and given complimentary glasses of sparkling water, to drink as they browsed the menu.

"So, what do you fancy?" asked Ryan, looking deeply into Charlotte's blue eyes.

'_You_,' she thought to herself, but replied, "I don't know. What do you suggest?"

"Well, I was thinking we could share a Tapas platter? That way, we could both try something new," offered Ryan, with a smile, as he took Charlotte's hands.

"Sounds great," beamed the blonde in reply.

The waiter came and took their order, which consisted of an appetizers platter, main course platter and a bottle of the best red wine the bar had to offer. As they waited for their meal to arrive, the couple chatted happily.

The make up artist was blown away by how considerate Ryan was; the IT consultant wanted to know every little detail of her life, and sat enthralled as she told him tales of growing up. The dark-haired man said very little about himself, however, but Charlotte found that just added to the romantic mystery of him.

They continued talking as their meal arrived, and the make up artist couldn't help blushing when Ryan offered her food from his fork. Leaning across the table, the dark-haired male fed the blonde a small piece of feta cheese and an olive.

"You have such pretty lips, I just couldn't resist," he explained, and again the make up artist turned a bright shade of crimson.

Inside, Charlotte was feeling hot, and her head was spinning. It had very little to do with the three glasses of red wine she'd drank, and everything to do with how she was feeling about the man sitting across from her.

It was almost as though the pages from her romance novels had come alive, and the perfect guy had walked right into her life. The blonde couldn't believe her luck.

As they finished their meal, Ryan ordered another bottle of wine, along with a piece of chocolate fudge cake for them to share as dessert.

As the dark-haired male teased the make up artist by running his chocolate covered finger across her lips, Charlotte felt as though she'd died and gone to heaven.

Finally, after finishing a second bottle of wine, the couple took a cab back to the hotel.

"Fancy a drink in the bar?" suggested Ryan, as the arrived in the lobby.

"I have a better idea. How about we have a night cap in my room?" purred Charlotte in reply, her voice husky with alcohol and lust.

"Sounds great," grinned the IT consultant, and so the couple jumped into the elevator, and headed up to the blonde's room.

The make up artist was pleased to discover Ashley wasn't in the shared room, meaning she and Ryan were alone.

As the dark-haired man visited the restroom, the blonde put the coffee maker on and quickly touched up her appearance.

Within seconds of Ryan returning to the room, the coffee was forgotten, as he and Charlotte fell onto the bed, locked passionately at the lips.

Quickly, the situation became heated, as Ryan's hands wondered over Charlotte's quivering body, and the make up artist removed his shirt and tie.

She gasped in delight, seeing his perfectly toned and tanned torso. She really had died and gone to heaven.

Grabbing his belt, Charlotte grinned impishly. However, Ryan withdrew from her embrace, a worried look upon his face.

"I'm sorry, Charlotte, I have an early flight and I really should be leaving," he explained hastily, as he made his way to the door.

"Oh, ok," mumbled the blonde, suddenly feeling very foolish for making assumptions. "When will I see you again?"

"Erm, I don't know," stuttered the dark-haired man, as he backed out of the room. "I'll call you."

As the IT consultant left, Charlotte sat on her bed in stunned silence, utterly perplexed about what had just happened.

They'd had a wonderful evening together, and she thought they'd made a real connection.

_'Maybe I came across as too forceful?' _she thought to herself. _'Or perhaps Beth is right, and he was disgusted by me.'_

Feeling insecure and unsure of herself, Charlotte changed into her bed clothes, snuggled under the duvet, and tried to rid her head of self doubting thoughts. It didn't work, however, and the blonde had a restless night's sleep.

* * *

In the days that followed Charlotte and Ryan's date, the blonde became slightly obsessed with the IT consultant. Even after two days, the dark-haired man hadn't called, like promised.

"What's wrong with me?" the make up artist asked her friends over lunch one afternoon.

"Nothing's wrong with you, honey," reassured Maria, embracing the blonde. "He's just a loser, and doesn't know a good thing when he sees one."

"No, something isn't right," protested Charlotte, with a frown. "We made a real connection over dinner. I think I scared him off by inviting him up to my room."

"What guy in their right mind would turn you down?" protested Candice, with a wink.

"You'll see. He'll phone soon with a perfectly logical explanation as to why he hasn't called yet," added Kelly.

However, another day passed, and still Ryan hadn't called Charlotte. The blonde was now becoming increasingly worried, frustrated and insecure.

"Why don't you just call him?" suggested Paulo one afternoon at work, after the make up artist had checked her phone for the twentieth time that day.

"You know, I think I will," said Charlotte, pulling her cell from her purse. "Will you be ok on your own for about ten minutes?"

"If it will stop you whining, of course," replied the hairstylist facetiously. "Now, go get him, tiger."

The blonde giggled, and headed off along to corridor, to find a quiet spot and call Ryan. The make up artist's fingers trembled as she dialled the IT consultant's number.

The phone rang five times, and Charlotte became increasingly worried. Then, suddenly, someone answered.

"Hello? Ryan?" she asked nervously.

"Erm, no, this is Mandy. Can I ask who's calling, please?" came a woman's voice in reply.

Thinking it was just Ryan's personal assistant, the blonde continued speaking. "Oh, hi. This is Charlotte. I was just wondering if Ryan is around, please?

"I don't think I know any Charlottes. Can I ask why you're calling, please?" questioned Mandy, sounding very annoyed.

"Erm...yeah..." stuttered the make up artist, her palms now sweating. "I erm... just wanted to tell Ryan I had a really good time at dinner, and would love to do it again soon."

"Are you a client?" asked the other woman suspiciously. "Or one of my husband's little tarts?"

"One of your what?" asked Charlotte in disbelief, the pieces of the puzzle suddenly falling into place.

"Yes, sweetheart, Ryan is married. But I suppose he didn't share that bit of information with you, did he?" demanded Mandy angrily.

All the color drained from the blonde's face and her palms became slippery with sweat. She'd been such a damn fool.

To be continued...


	8. As long as I know how to love

**Author's Notes: **I'd like to thank** Super T, Fozzy-Floozy, jada951, faxness-rulz, nicole, WWESupernatural102292, chnoelle89, Inday **and** Disco Inferno1 **for your awesome reviews for chapter seven. I'm glad y'all enjoyed it, and I always appreciate the comments and support.

Additionally, I'd like to thank both Gin (Disco Inferno1, User ID: 339498) and Karen (IMissPadfoot, User ID: 1133633) for your comments and help with this chapter. Love ya both very much!

* * *

**Chapter Eight: As long as I know how to love, I know I'll stay alive.**

"Yes, sweetheart, Ryan is married. But I suppose he didn't share that bit of information with you, did he?" demanded Mandy angrily.

All the color drained from the blonde's face and her palms became slippery with sweat. She'd been such a damn fool.

"I... what? No, he didn't say he was married. I had no idea, and of course I wouldn't have agreed to have dinner with him if I'd known," insisted Charlotte, trying to stop herself from dissolving into tears.

"No, I don't suppose you would have," agreed the other woman, now sounding slightly sympathetic. "But that's Ryan for you. He'll charm anyone using a pack of lies, not caring who he hurts."

It was obvious from the bitterness in Mandy's voice that this wasn't the first time her husband had played away from home, and the make up artist suddenly felt very bad for the woman she hadn't even known existed half an hour ago.

"I'm so sorry," whispered the blonde. "I'm sorry I called, and I'm sorry I got involved with your husband."

"You don't have to be sorry, Miss. Ryan lied to you, just like he's been lying to me for the past twenty years. I'm actually very glad you called, because now I have proof and a reason to leave him. You've done me a favour really," replied Mandy with an ironic laugh.

"Even so, I'm sorry you had to find out like this. It was never my intention to cause any trouble for you," said the blonde, hoping she would be forgiven for her part in Ryan's deception.

"I appreciate your sympathy, there are some women who would gloat at the fact that they'd slept with someone else's husband," said the other woman coldly.

"I never slept with him," protested Charlotte pathetically. "We went out for dinner and that was all."

"Well, whatever happened, I appreciate the fact that I found out now, and that you've been so honest with me," answered Mandy. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have things to attend to."

"Of course. Again, I'm sorry and I hope everything works out for you," returned the make up artist regretfully, genuinely wishing that whatever happened now, Mandy would be alright.

The phone line went dead, and for a few moments the blonde just stood listening to the dull tone, which informed her that the other person had hung up.

As the truth about Ryan and his deception slowly set in, tears ran down Charlotte's cheeks. She felt utterly humiliated and used. She'd honestly thought the IT consultant was a nice guy, and they might have had something together. Obviously that was all a lie. The make up artist also felt horrible for having called him, and subsequently informing his wife of the situation. The blonde realized maybe she should have gotten the hint that something wasn't right when Ryan hadn't called her like he'd promised. Charlotte only hoped that Mandy would somehow be able to salvage something from the knowledge her husband had cheated on her, even if it was a reason and way out of their obviously unhappy marriage.

Walking listlessly back along the corridor, the blonde returned to her work station. Seeing Paulo grinning at her, Charlotte almost burst into tears again.

"What's wrong, Charlie?" asked the hairstylist, his voice full of concern for his friend. "Did Ryan blow you off or something? Because if he's upset my girl, I'll hunt him down and cut off his balls."

Despite herself, the make up artist couldn't help but laugh at Paulo's display of loyalty. Then her smile faded, and Charlotte shook her head.

"It's worse than that," she sighed. "He's married."

"That sly bastard," exclaimed the hairstylist. "I swear on Judy Garland, if I ever see him again, I'm going to do a Lorena Bobbitt on him."

The blonde burst into hysterics, and threw her arms around her friend.

"Oh, Paulo. I should have known I could count on you to cheer me up," she sighed, kissing him on the cheek.

"For you, Miss Charlotte, nothing is too much trouble. I just hope you're going to be ok, I knew how much you liked Ryan," returned the Latino.

"It hurts like hell at the moment, but I'll get over it," said the make up artist, releasing herself from Paulo's embrace and flopping onto the stool, before adding, "Eventually."

"What you need, doll, is some retail therapy. How about I come home with you tomorrow, and then we can head to the mall and get that coat and boots we had our eyes on?" suggested Paulo, sitting on the vanity counter beside his friend.

"Sounds perfect," replied Charlotte with a grin.

The rest of the evening at work passed pretty quickly for the make up artist. Again showing that he was a friend in a million, Paulo did most of the work, and cleared the beauty area up when the show had finished.

The two friends then returned to the hotel, where the Latino informed Candice, Kelly and Maria what had happened with Ryan. The three divas and hairstylist all insisted on looking after the blonde that evening, so they gathered in Paulo's hotel room, with a few bottles of wine, and a very large, sickly chocolate fudge cake.

The night in was just what Charlotte needed, and her friends kept her mind off Ryan, by plying her with drinks and making her laugh at just about anything.

The make up artist was touched by the fact that Paulo, Maria, Candice and Kelly didn't judge her for what had happened with Ryan. There was no condemnation, just loyalty that could only come from people who were as close as the five friends.

However, when the group decided to call it a night, and the blonde returned to her own hotel room, she couldn't prevent the tears that ran down her face.

Burying her head in the pillow, Charlotte inwardly cursed herself for how foolish she'd been, when she allowed herself to be charmed by Ryan's lies. All she'd wanted was to find a nice guy she might be able to have a future with, but she'd got nothing but heartache in return.

* * *

The following day, Charlotte met Candice, Maria and Kelly in the hotel restaurant for breakfast. Again, the three divas were sympathetic, and encouraged the blonde not to feel too badly about what had happened with the IT consultant.

"Look on the bright side, if things had worked out with Ryan, the travelling to see each other would be unbearable," offered Candice.

"And now at least, you'll have more time to come out partying with us," added Maria.

"And who knows, maybe you'll meet someone at work," Kelly continued.

"Thanks, girls. Y'all have been so great and understanding. I don't think I'd have gotten through this without y'all," beamed the blonde, hugging each of her friends in turn. "However, I think I'm done with guys. They're more trouble than they're worth. I've decided to stop looking, and just enjoy hanging out with my friends."

"That's the spirit," encouraged the petite diva. "Men, who needs 'em, when you've got us?"

The four friends burst out laughing, and then Candice asked Maria, "What about Josh? I thought you were really into him?"

"Oh, I am," insisted the other diva with a sheepish grin. "But I can't dessert Charlie in her time of need, can I?"

"Charlotte, that there is a sign of real friendship. Maria is willing to sacrifice time with her 'dream man' to look after you," teased Kelly, and again the friends started laughing.

"Don't worry, Maria," said Charlotte when she'd finally finished giggling. "I'm letting you off the hook. Paulo is coming home with me today, and I'll have Ellie too, there's no need for you to miss out on seeing Josh because of me. Besides, just because my love life sucks, doesn't mean I don't want my friends to be happy."

"Well, if you insist then, I'll just text Josh and tell him I'm available tonight," grinned Maria, and whipped her cell out of her purse.

After breakfast, Charlotte packed the rest of her belongings into her suitcase, and then she and Paulo rode together to the airport.

"I'm afraid you're going to have to bunk in with me," said the blonde, as the Latino returned his rental car. "Unless you wanna crash on the floor."

"I'll bunk in with you, as long as you promise not to snore," replied the hairstylist facetiously.

"I do not snore," insisted the make up artist, as the two friends checked in and headed to the boarding area.

"Whatever, doll, I'm just glad I packed my ear plugs," teased Paulo, which caused Charlotte to playfully swat him in the arm. "Ow, you little devil, that hurt."

"Aww, didums. You're going to have to get Jeffy-weffy to kiss it better now," joked the blonde in a fake baby voice.

"Actually, that isn't a bad idea," grinned the hairstylist, and the two friends burst out laughing.

The wait and the flight to Jackson passed quickly and uneventfully, Charlotte and Paulo both taking a nap on the plane. When they arrived at the airport, and had collected their luggage, the two friends found Ellie waiting for them, her pink VW Beetle parked behind her.

"Oh, Charlie. How are you?" asked the younger blonde, throwing her arms around her sister.

"Bearing up well, considering everything" sighed the make up artist. "I'm happy to be home, so that I can put the whole disaster with Ryan behind me."

"That's good. Don't worry about a thing, Paulo and I will look after you until you return to work," Ellie reassured.

"And hopefully, when we get back, all this will be in the past," added the Latino. "And if not, Candice, Kelly, Maria and I will be there for you."

"Thanks, guys, y'all are the best," beamed Charlotte, hugging her sister and friend, before they loaded their cases into the trunk of the younger blonde's car.

"So, what's the plan for today?" asked the beauty student, as they pulled out of the parking lot.

"I was thinking retail therapy, and then the three of us hit a club tonight?" suggested the hairstylist.

"Sounds awesome," the two sisters replied in unison.

After heading home to drop off their cases, freshening up and grabbing a quick lunch, Charlotte, Paulo and Ellie headed to the mall.

Despite having treated herself the week before, the blonde had just been paid, and had every intention of maxing out her credit card again.

Therefore, the three friends went on a real spending spree that afternoon.

In addition to buying a new winter coat – which was black, double breasted and had four large buttons down the front – Charlotte also picked up a satin catsuit to wear for the New Year's Eve party the WWE employees always held, a new purse, and some small gifts for her friends to say 'thank you' for their recent kindness.

"Are you still going to see if you can get me an invitation to the party?" inquired Ellie eagerly. "I was thinking it would be the perfect opportunity for me to make a move on Cena."

Charlotte laughed, and nodded her head. "Of course, I couldn't stand in the way of true love, now, could I?" she returned facetiously.

When the make up artist, beauty student and hairstylist had visited almost every store in the mall, and their arms were laden with bags, the three friends headed back to the Robinson house.

As the blonde and Paulo headed to the guest-house to put their things away, Ellie ran off to the main house, promising she'd call them when dinner was ready.

As usual when Charlotte had guests stopping, Loretta Mae was cooking up a real treat for them all that evening, before they headed off to a night club.

As the Latino flopped onto the couch in the blonde's sitting room, she got a pitcher of iced tea and some glasses for them both.

"I think I'm going to need an extra suit case just to take this lot home with me," he said facetiously.

The blonde giggled, set the tray of drinks on the coffee table, and replied, "I have one you can borrow if you want?"

"Maybe, I'll see if I can squeeze everything into the one case first," shrugged Paulo. "So, where do you wanna head tonight?"

"Well, when I was home last, Ellie mentioned that there's a new club opening on Baker Street. Maybe we could try there?" offered Charlotte.

"Whatever you want, doll, it's your night," insisted the hairstylist.

"Ok, well I'll ask Ellie about it over dinner," suggested the make up artist, the mention of dinner making her stomach growl. "God, I'm starving, I hope Mama hurries up with whatever she's cooking. I'm going to have a bag of chips. You want?"

"No thanks, I'm on a diet," informed Paulo, with a sheepish grin. "I figured because Jeff is all athletic, well he might go for someone a little more toned. I still have like three extra pounds on from when I went on vacation and over indulged."

Poking her head out of the kitchen door, the blonde looked at her friend in disbelief.

"You don't need to lose any weight, you have a wonderful figure. You looked great the other week, when you wore that dress for Halloween. Besides, if Jeff is shallow enough not to be interested in you because you've got a little puppy fat, then he isn't worth your attention. Hell, Beth Phoenix teases me about my weight every chance she gets, and you don't see me giving up the things I love, do you?" protested Charlotte.

"Well, that's because you've got a classic 'hour-glass' figure, like Marilyn Monroe. I swear, if we were in the 50's, you'd be a major pin-up," insisted the Latino. "Me? I look like a 'Drag Queen', who's eaten too many tootsie rolls."

"Rubbish!" exclaimed the blonde. "Paulo, you've got a better body than some of the guys around the locker-room. You're tall, slender, and have the most beautiful tanned skin. Who wouldn't want you?"

"Jeff Hardy?" pouted the hairstylist.

"Now come on, we don't know Jeff isn't interested in you," reasoned the make up artist. "For all we know, he could feel the same way. Do you want me to fish around when we get back to work? Find out if he plays for both teams and test the waters?"

"I don't know. I couldn't stand finding out he's straight. Or even worse, he is bi-sexual and just not interested in me," sighed Paulo. "Maybe I should just stick to admiring him from afar?"

"Faint heart never won fair lady... or fair man in this case," teased Charlotte. "Come on Paulo, nothing ventured nothing gained, as they say. Hell, even Ellie is gonna bite the bullet with Cena."

"Humph. Ok, but only because it'll take your mind off Ryan," conceded the Latino with a smile. "You know, you haven't mentioned him all day?"

"Well, until you brought him up now," countered the blonde facetiously. "Seriously though, I only went on one date with the guy, before I found out he was married. It's not like we'd been dating for months and then I was left heart broken. I'm fine."

"Good, I'm glad to hear it. No man is worth moping over," said Paulo, as he embraced his friend. "So, who are you planning as your next conquest?"

"Conquest?" questioned Charlotte, with a laugh. "You make it sound as though I'm some sort of predatory nymphomaniac. There isn't anyone I'm interested in. Besides, if this experience with Ryan has taught me anything, it's that I shouldn't be so eager to find the 'perfect' guy. Ryan seemed too good to be true, and he was. I think I'm just going to enjoy being young, free, single and spending time with my friends. Settling down can wait."

"So, there's no one at work you've got your eye on? Not even a certain blonde Canadian?" asked Paulo with a sly wink.

Charlotte rolled her eyes, and threw a pink, sequined cushion at the Latino. "No, there isn't, so you can tell the girls to stop planning the wedding already."

The friends continued to chat happily – about the approaching New Year's Eve party, and their plans for the holiday season – until Ellie appeared, announcing Loretta Mae was about to serve up dinner.

The two sisters and hairstylist made their way over to the main house, and when they entered the kitchen, the delicious smell of crisply fried catfish fillets, cooking in the pan, caught their noses.

Loretta Mae served the catfish up with home-cut fries, tangy coleslaw, 'hushpuppies' loaded with onions, fried dill pickles, and a big pitcher of sweet tea with lemon. Turnip greens, cornbread, Tabasco, lemon, and tarter sauce were already set on the table, to accompany the meal.

"Wow! Mrs. Robinson, this looks wonderful," exclaimed Paulo as he took his place at the table. "Thank you."

"Mrs. Robinson indeed," chuckled Loretta. "Y'all make me sound like some older woman seducing school boys. I told you a million times, Paulo, please call me Loretta Mae, all my friends do."

The hairstylist beamed, and then replied, "Well, Loretta Mae, this really does look delicious. No wonder Charlotte raves on about her Mama's home cooking so much."

"Y'all are making me blush," laughed the former beautician, fanning her face with her dish-cloth. "Now, stop your yapping, and eat your catfish before it gets cold."

Everyone gathered around the table grinned, and then tucked into the exquisitely prepared meal. It was true, Charlotte's mother really was a fantastic cook, and the catfish was so good it could rival some of the food served up in five star restaurants.

As Charlotte, Ellie, Paulo, Loretta Mae and Charles Edward ate their meal, they all chatted happily about their days, and their various plans for the evening.

"Ellie, when does that new club on Baker Street open?" the make up artist asked her sister.

"Mary-Beth told me it was tonight, and if you get there for when it opens at nine-thirty, you get free drinks all evening," replied the beauty student.

"Free drinks all evening?" exclaimed Paulo. "Well, we can't miss out on that."

The sisters nodded, and then their mother said, "Now, Ellie Lynnette Robinson, don't you have a class tomorrow morning? I don't want y'all going out, and coming back with hangovers, so that you're too ill to go to school. Your studies must come first, even if it is free drinks all evening. I want you home no later than one am, you hear me Ellie?"

"But Mama," the younger sister began to protest, but a stern look from her father silenced the girl.

"Your Mama is right, Ellie," insisted Charles Edward. "You've been working hard all term, and you don't want to fall behind because you've been out drinking. I'm sure Charlotte and Paulo understand that, and will make sure you're home in time."

"Of course, Papa," replied Charlotte, to which her sister gave her a swift kick under the table.

"Don't worry, Sir, I'll have your girls home safely," added Paulo, and Ellie glared at him.

"Good to hear," said Charles, and smiled appreciatively at the Latino. "I know I can always count on you to do the right thing, Paulo."

"Suck up," hissed the beauty student under her breath.

Dinner was followed by a home made 'Mississippi Mud Pie', that Charles Edward had helped his wife prepare. The chocolate pie was served with vanilla ice cream, and was the most heavenly thing any of the diners had ever tasted.

After dessert, Paulo, Charlotte and Ellie did the washing up, and then began to get ready for their night out. The younger sister grabbed a few outfits, and her make up bag, and took them to the guest house, so she could join the older blonde and Latino as they got ready.

The hairstylist turned on the stereo in the sitting room, as the make up artist got them all a bottle of wine to share.

Soon, all three people were singing along to the music, getting tipsy from the alcohol and running around the guest house in various states of undress.

One of the things Charlotte loved most about going out with her friends was the getting ready beforehand. She couldn't imagine getting dressed on her own, and loved having someone to share make up and outfit ideas with. The only down side was, there was always a fight for the shower, mirror and straighteners.

Finally, after consuming two bottles of wine between them, Charlotte, Paulo and Ellie were ready for their night out. The Latino had had the good sense to phone ahead for a cab, and it arrived just as the two sisters were pulling on their shoes, and checking they had everything they'd need in their purses.

When the friends arrived at the Baker Street night club – which was named Papaya – they found a long queue had already formed outside the establishment.

"Looks like everyone had our idea of getting here early, so that they would be entitled to free drinks," commented Paulo.

"I know," sighed Charlotte. "At this rate, by the time we get in, it'll be time to go home."

"Hang on a second," said Ellie, pulling Charlotte and Paulo out of the line. "I see Mary-Beth down there near the front; maybe I can talk her into letting us in with her."

The beauty student grinned mischievously, and led her sister and the Latino along the queue to where one of her class mates was standing.

"Oh, hey, Mary-Beth. Your outfit looks really nice," the younger blonde began casually. "And where did you get those shoes? They're to die for."

The make up artist and hairstylist sniggered at Ellie's blatant attempt to sweet talk her class mate.

The dark-haired beauty student began gushing about the red stilettos she was wearing, and didn't notice as Paulo, Charlotte and Ellie slipped into the queue behind her.

With a cheeky grin, the younger blonde looked over her shoulder at the Latino and her sister, and they both winked back.

Standing with Mary-Beth, who was only ten places from the front doors of Papaya, the three friends were soon admitted into the night club, and handed tokens for free drinks all evening; all they had to do was present the small plastic chip every time they visited the bar, and they could have whatever they wanted.

The newly opened establishment was one of the best night spots in Mississippi. The club itself consisted of three different rooms, all playing various styles of music. The main room housed disco, soft rock and contemporary pop music. The second room was home to 'chill out' music, and had a large selection of comfy leather couches for the patrons to relax on. The last, and smallest of the rooms played songs from the previous five decades; ranging between anything from 70's disco and Motown to 'R&B', soul and funk.

Charlotte, Paulo and Ellie took advantage of their 'free drinks' tokens, and consumed strangely named cocktails all evening, until they couldn't walk straight and could hardly see.

The three friends divided their time between each of the different rooms, all having slightly contrasting music tastes, but enjoying the theme of each room none the less.

Sipping the last of her 'Slippery Nipple', Charlotte joined Paulo on the dance floor, as they boogied to _I Will Survive_ by Gloria Gaynor.

As the song lyrics of the chorus filled the room, the blonde whispered to the Latino, "Hey, this should be my theme song."

"Oh, no not I, I will survive. Oh as long as I know how to love, I know I'll stay alive," Charlotte sang along.

"Yeah, you tell' em, Sister," agreed the hairstylist with a drunken grin.

"I've got all my life to live, I've got all my love to give. And I'll survive, I will survive," the blonde continued, sounding more like a strangled cat, than a 70's disco diva.

The make up artist giggled, and wrapped her arms around her friend's neck.

"Just you and me against the world, huh?" she whispered to Paulo.

"Until I get my hands on Jeff. Then I'm sorry, doll, but you're on your own," replied the Latino facetiously.

"Oh my God! How harsh!" exclaimed the blonde, dramatically flailing her arms around in the air. "You'd sell me out for a guy? I'm morally offended."

"No, no, doll, not just any guy. Jeff is the man of my dreams," insisted the hairstylist dramatically. "And if you got in the way of true love, then maybe you're not a true friend after all."

The dancing couple burst into hysterics, and then decided another drink was in order.

"To selling out for a guy," toasted Charlotte, knocking back another cocktail.

"Yes, to putting sex before friendship," joked Paulo, clinking his glass with the blonde's, before downing his own beverage.

With that proclamation, the blonde and Latino dissolved into hysterical laughter again.

"Wait, wait," the make up artist said when she'd finished laughing. "To being used by married men! If you want lessons in dating disasters, just ask Charlotte Robinson!"

"Oh, Charlie," sighed Paulo with a frown, as he embraced his friend. "You'll be ok, doll. That jerk didn't deserve you anyway. Just you wait, when you're not even looking for love, your prefect guy will sweep you off your feet."

"Whatever," muttered the blonde gloomily, the alcohol now making her feel depressed and sorry for herself. "I give up on looking for 'Mr. Right'. You know, in the past year, I haven't had one date that's led to something meaningful. It's tragic really, how I just go from one disaster to the next. Hooking up with some random guy in a bar is just so shallow, superficial and unfulfilling. I'm sick of it. From now on, I'm staying celibate."

"No, no. You can't just give in," insisted the Latino. "Remember what Gloria Gaynor said; 'As long as I know how to love, I know I'll stay alive. I've got all my life to live, I've got all my love to give.' And she was right, Charlotte. Out there, just wanting for you to find him, is your Knight in Shining Armour."

"No, Paulo, that was just a stupid song," huffed the blonde. "Come on, let's get out of here, I've had enough for one night. I'm tired, and Ellie has to be back soon."

The hairstylist was about to protest, but then he realized that perhaps more alcohol wouldn't really help Charlotte's current mood, and what would really make his friend feel better was going to sleep. He hoped the following morning, life would look differently for the blonde, and that maybe she wouldn't feel so down on herself.

After locating Ellie – who'd been chatting with Mary-Beth in the chill out room – the three friends jumped into one of the cabs waiting outside the night club, and made their way back to Charlotte's house.

The beauty student wished her sister and Paulo good-night, making the older blonde promise to call her tomorrow evening, and then headed into the main house to go to bed.

When Charlotte and Paulo got into the guest house, the make up artist suggested opening another bottle of wine, and stopping up chatting for a few hours.

"Sorry, Miss Charlotte, but I need my beauty sleep," replied the Latino facetiously. "And I think you need to sleep off the alcohol, or you'll have a monster hangover in the morning."

"But I'm not tired yet," protested the blonde, going ahead and opening the bottle of wine. "You go to bed, and I'll join you in a little bit."

"Come on, Charlie," insisted Paulo. "You can't sit in here drinking on your own. Get some rest, and I'm sure you'll feel better in the morning."

However, the make up artist declined her friend's offer, and so the hairstylist went to bed alone.

When the Latino had left the room, the blonde chugged back a whole glass of wine, and then dissolved into tears. Everything that had happened with Ryan had left Charlotte feeling utterly miserable, and all she wanted to do was drown her sorrows and forget how unhappy she was currently feeling.

When Paulo got up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, he found Charlotte passed out on the couch. After throwing the bottle of wine down the sink, the hairstylist covered his friend over with a blanket and kissed her forehead.

"Sweet dreams, Charlie," he whispered. "I hope you find your 'Prince Charming' soon."


	9. Knight in shining armour

**Author's Notes: **Sorry this chapter is a little later than usual, I blame 'women's issues' and real life for getting in the way - - thankfully, I'm back now though!

I'd like to thank** Westfan, Fozzy-Floozy, Super T, Inday, cassymae, WWESupernatural102292, Disco Inferno1 **and** Rheya-Goddess **for your awesome reviews for chapter eight. I'm glad y'all enjoyed it, and I always appreciate the comments and support.

Additionally, I'd like to thank both Gin (Disco Inferno1, User ID: 339498) and Karen (IMissPadfoot, User ID: 1133633) for your comments and help with this chapter. Love ya both very much!

Finally, can I just say how truly awesome it is that Jericho is Intercontinental Champion again, it's so good to see him with gold back around that gorgeous waist of his!

* * *

**Chapter Nine: ****Knight in shining armour.**

Charlotte sat in the make up area at work, feeling utterly miserable and sorry for herself. News of her disastrous encounter with the I.T consultant, Ryan, and the fact that he'd turned out to be married, had swept through the WWE like wild fire. The blonde assumed Randy Orton's loose lips had something to do with the gossip, and vowed to have words with the 'Legend Killer' once she finally got her hands on him. Oddly enough, the current WWE Champion had been avoiding the make up artist, since the news of her dating misjudgement had become public knowledge.

On the whole, however, the reaction to Charlotte's faux pas had been received with sympathy. Candice, Maria and Kelly all insisted that it wasn't the blonde's fault, she hadn't known any better, and that they'd kick Ryan's ass if they ever saw him again. Even people the make up artist hardly spoke to were being compassionate to her situation, and wishing her the best.

That was, everyone, apart from Beth Phoenix. The blonde diva had wasted no time in taunting Charlotte about her oversight, and making sure the make up artist knew how much the 'Glamazon' disapproved of her recent actions.

In addition, Jericho was still acting very strangely towards the blonde. He'd hardly spoken to her since the night he'd stormed away - when she'd first met Ryan - giving neither his sympathy nor condemnation to her situation. Charlotte wondered what could have happened between them, as they'd been getting on so well since the wrestler had returned to the WWE. The make up artist greatly missed her nightly chats with the Canadian, especially in this time of need and comfort.

Idly flicking through a magazine, and thinking about how much her life sucked, Charlotte groaned inwardly as she saw Beth approaching her. She had already had to endure a berating at the hands on the 'Glamazon' once that evening, and didn't fancy a repeat performance.

"Slept with any more married men recently?" snipped Beth, as she neared the blonde and glowered down at her.

"Get lost," muttered Charlotte in reply, not looking up from her magazine.

"What's up, piglet? Not feeling so full of yourself without your entourage around?" taunted the diva, with a look of pure malice in her cold eyes.

"Beth, unless you have something useful to say, I suggest you get lost," responded the make up artist. "Because I'm really not in the mood for your childish games tonight."

"Aww, what's up little Charlikins? Feeling sorry for yourself because the only man who would ever touch you, is one who had a decent woman back at home?" Beth sneered. "You really are quite pathetic, aren't you?"

"As I see it, the only pathetic one here is you. I mean, seriously, who takes pleasure in another person's misery?" snapped Charlotte, her blue eyes now glowing dangerously.

"They must be a pretty sad and lonely person if their only source of amusement is the misfortunes of others."

"My God, you're pitiful, piglet. So desperate for some love, you have to steal someone else's husband, and even then the poor guy didn't want you for longer than a quick screw," jeered the 'Glamazon', a snide smile curling her lips. "But then, I suppose he was so disgusted by the sight of you naked, that he ran a mile in the opposite direction."

This final taunt was enough for Charlotte's already fraught nerves, and she sprang off her stool and tackled the diva around the waist, pulling them both to the floor.

Beating down on top of Beth, the make up artist did what she'd always done in a fight, scratched and pulled hair.

Rolling around on the ground, and rivalling some of the action the WWE counted as diva's wrestling matches, someone pulled the females apart.

Shaking herself off, Beth glowered at Jericho, who now had his arms around Charlotte, and was holding the make up artist back.

"That's enough," he all but spat in the diva's face.

"Oh, I should have known Charlotte's little lap dog would come running to the rescue," the 'Glamazon' said through clenched teeth. "Jericho, you're just as pathetic as she is. You've been back with the company all of a few weeks, and already you're piglet's bitch. I thought you were cool, but obviously not if you come running at her every whim."

"I'm no one's lap dog," the wrestler yelled back. "And even if I were, it's a damn sight better than being anywhere near a dirty, disgusting, bottom feeding ho like you."

"Dirty ho? Ha, that's a bit rich considering who you've currently got your arms all over," the diva ground out, her voice rising to match the Canadian's. "You are aware she's just playing you, right? Charlotte feels sorry for herself and needs her ego boosting, so you come running. God, you're both so wretched that you deserve each other."

Jericho and Charlotte both glared at Beth, ready to take her down again, if she so much as said another word. However, the diva straightened herself up and stalked off, obviously thinking her final taunt had won her this round.

As the 'Glamazon' walked away, the wrestler turned to the make up artist.

"Are you ok?" he asked, brushing a lock of hair from her face, his arms still lingering protectively around her waist.

"Yeah, I'm fine," replied Charlotte, shrugging out of Jericho's embrace. "But thanks for sticking up for me there."

The Canadian smiled, and followed the make up artist as she flopped back onto her stool.

"Anytime, Charlie," he said genuinely, propping himself up on the vanity table, and rubbing the blonde's tense shoulders. "You know, you shouldn't listen to a word she says. Beth is just a vicious bitch, without any friends."

"I know," sniffed the make up artist in reply. "I know the only reason she taunts me is because her own life is so dull. However, that doesn't stop part of what she said being true. I am pathetic. I fell for Ryan's charms without a second thought, and look where that got me."

"You're not pathetic," insisted Jericho, brushing her cheek with his hand, so that the make up artist turned to look directly at him. "It's just that you're so kind-hearted and caring, that you expect everyone to be the same. You weren't to know Ryan was married; you just did what was natural to someone as loving as you are. He's the pathetic one for taking advantage of your friendliness and using you like he did."

"I guess," shrugged Charlotte, still not entirely believing it was true. "I just feel like such a fool though. I thought he was perfect, and wanted to believe we might be able to have something together."

For a moment, the wrestler bristled and removed his hands from where he'd still being rubbing the make up artist's shoulders. However, then he looked at her again and smiled.

"No, that isn't foolish. You see the best in people, and that's a wonderful trait to have," he told her softly. "Charlotte, if everyone in the world was more like you, there would be a hell of a lot more love around, and that can't be a bad thing."

"I guess," she sighed in reply, leaning her head back to rest in the wrestler's out stretched arms. "Thanks again, Chris. Not only for defending me in front of Beth, but also for making me realize that I did nothing wrong, and shouldn't be feeling like this."

"Anytime, Charlie," he returned, planting a light kiss on her forehead.

"So, how's Abby?" the make up artist asked, as she looked up into his clear blue eyes, glad that things were back to normal between the two of them.

"She's good, thanks for asking. Still giving me a heart attack, with her insistence that she wants to wear make up at school. You know, I don't think I'll ever get use the fact my baby girl is growing up," sighed Jericho, as he brushed Charlotte's hair from her eyes.

"It'll get easier," assured the blonde. "I remember when Ellie first started wearing make up, and Papa almost had a blue fit, despite the fact I'd been wearing it for years. So, when is she visiting you next? I'd love to see her again, you know?"

"Next weekend, hopefully," replied the wrestler with a smile. "Actually, could you do me a huge favour and watch her again? I have a meeting with Creative on Saturday afternoon, and I don't want Abby stuck in the hotel room alone."

"Yeah, of course. I'm sure the girls and I can find a way to keep her amused for the afternoon," replied Charlotte with a grin. "Do you want me to get her some dinner, than take her to the arena with me and watch her during your match as well?"

"Would you mind? Because if not, that would be great," returned the Canadian. "I mean, it wouldn't be for long. The meeting is only an hour, and Abby can come to my dressing room until my match starts. So, really, you'd only have to watch her for a few hours at most."

"Take however long you need, Chris. When it's just a houseshow, things are pretty quiet around here, and I'm sure Abby won't get in the way of me working. Actually, I'm bet she'd enjoy watching me, and might even learn some beauty tips."

"Thanks, Charlie, you're a real gem," grinned the wrestler, and then kissed the blonde on the forehead again. "So, dating disasters and fights with Beth aside, how have you been? Did you do anything interesting when you went home?"

"I've been alright, thanks," returned Charlotte, with a warm smile. "Going home was good; it took my mind off everything. Paulo stopped for a few days, so he, Ellie and I hit the mall, and I managed to max out my credit card again. Then we went to a new night club in town, it was great because they gave us free drinks all night. Although, I did have a monster hangover the following day."

"Sounds fun. So, how old is your sister? Are you guys close?" asked Jericho.

"Ellie is twenty-one, and yes we're very close. We're so similar and get on so well, that we're more like best friends than sisters. It's great having someone I can steal clothes and make up from," chuckled the blonde. "How about you, have you got any siblings?"

"Yeah, I've got a younger brother, Evan, who plays hockey for the Manitoba Moose, that's the biggest team in Winnipeg. We use to be pretty close, but with work and everything, we don't see each other as often as we should," informed the Canadian, with a regretful sigh.

"That's a shame," agreed the make up artist. "Will you see him over the holidays?"

"I don't know to be honest. We're both working over Thanksgiving, and I still haven't arranged anything for Christmas," shrugged the wrestler. "Oh yeah, that reminds me, are you going to the New Year's Eve party Orton and Cena have been arranging?"

"Of course, I go every year. I wouldn't miss it for anything," admitted the blonde with a grin. "I even brought a new outfit to wear for it the other day. All I've got to do now is find the perfect shoes to go with it."

"You could wear those boots you wore when you dressed up for Halloween?" suggested Jericho facetiously. "They were hot."

"Yeah, and they almost crippled me too. Seriously, do you want to carry me back to the hotel at the end of the night? Because if I wore those boots, you may have to," teased Charlotte.

"Hey, I've had to do worse in the past," laughed the wrestler. "At least if I was carrying you, I'd know you weren't about to drool on my jacket or something."

"You're never going to let me live that down, are you?" asked the make up artist, turning to poke Jericho in the arm with a make up brush. "Just remember, buster, I know how badly you dance. One word from me, and soon the whole WWE will know you'd put Austin Powers to shame with some of your moves."

"Oh, now that's just uncalled for," joked the Canadian. "I'm sorry, Miss 'High School Cheerleader' thinks my skills are laughable, I forget that you're applying to be a back-up dancer for Britney Spears."

"Back-up dancer you say? I'm quite sure the application form actually stated 'show girl'," replied Charlotte facetiously. "I'd like you to know, I could have been a real star, thank you very much."

"Well, just make sure you remember me when you're all rich and famous," teased Jericho.

"Oh, I will. In my auto-biography, I'll name a chapter after you, it'll be entitled, 'The wrestler with the two left feet,'" returned the blonde with a grin.

"Right, that's it, Missy, I've had enough of your taunting," announced the wrestler, as he hopped off the vanity table. "I'm going back to my lockerroom, where people actually appreciate how talented I am."

"By people, do you mean the mirror, Chris? Because, you know, that's kind of sad," the make up artist good-naturedly mocked.

"Humph. See what I mean, no respect," joked the Canadian, as he ruffled Charlotte's hair and then headed off along the corridor. "See ya later, Charlie."

"Yeah, see you later, Chris," the blonde called back, brandishing a blusher brush, as she grinned stupidly to herself. Jericho really had helped lift her self-pitying mood, and she was pleased the two of them were talking again.

Returning to her work, and beginning to pack her make up kit away, Charlotte giggled to herself as she remembered the conversation she's just had with the wrestler.

Things are finally looking up, she thought to herself.

"What are you grinning like a love sick teenager about?" asked Paulo, who had just returned from the crew lounge with two cups of coffee.

"Nothing," insisted the blonde with a blush. "I just realized life isn't as bad as I thought this morning."

"Okay. Are you high or something?" teased the hairstylist. "Because, this morning, you were fed up and dreading coming into work. What changed?"

"I just got a new perspective on everything," replied the make up artist. "I figured what happened with Ryan isn't the end of the world, and soon enough the gossips will have something new to talk about."

"That's great, I'm glad you've finally come round to my way of thinking," said that Latino, before adding with a wink, "And remind me to thank Jericho for putting a smile back on your face."

"What?" spluttered Charlotte, spitting coffee everywhere. "Who said Chris has anything to do with my sudden change of mood?"

"Oh, just the fact that I saw him walking along the corridor – away from where we work – wearing the same stupid grin as you," informed Paulo, with a laugh.

Again, the blonde turned bright red, and suddenly became fascinated by cleaning up the coffee she's just spilt on the floor.

"Ok, so what's the plan for tonight?" the Latino asked, when the make up artist had finally stopped blushing, and he had her full attention again.

"I dunno," shrugged Charlotte. "Fancy doing something with the girls later? It feels like ages since I just went on a fun night out with my friends."

"Yeah, it's always been with people from work recently, or one of us hooking up," agreed Paulo. "It'd be nice just to have some uncomplicated fun for once."

"Yup, that it would," said the blonde. "Ok, so how about we hit a different club from everyone else, so it's just the five of us?"

"You know, I'm not sure if I fancy clubbing tonight. How about we go out for dinner or catch a movie instead? I'd like the chance just to catch up properly with all of you," offered the hairstylist.

"Sounds great. Although, I'd prefer to go for dinner; you can't really chat in the movie theatre after all," reasoned the make up artist. "How about I text the girls and see if they're up for it, and you book us a table at a restaurant? Nothing fancy, just somewhere nice, where we can eat, relax and chat."

"Ok," agreed Paulo, getting his cell out, and throwing Charlotte hers.

Ten minutes later, Candice, Kelly and Maria had agreed that dinner sounded good, and Paulo had booked a table for five in a local pizzeria.

Charlotte and Paulo then finished up their evening at work, and cleaned down the beauty area, before riding together in the Latino's rental car back to the hotel.

They'd arranged to meet the divas in the lobby in an hour's time, so both the make up artist and hairstylist headed up to their respective rooms, to freshen up and change their clothes, before heading back down to meet their friends.

When Charlotte arrived back in the lobby, Paulo, Candice, Kelly and Maria were already waiting for her.

Candice rushed forwards and embraced her friend, asking, "How do you feel now, Charlie?"

"Much better, thanks," beamed the blonde. "I had another argument with Beth, but Chris put her in her place. After that, things at work were much better."

"Jericho playing the Knight in shining armour again?" teased Maria, as the group of friends headed outside to fine a cab.

"Yeah, he was really great actually. He made me realize I was blowing this whole situation with Ryan out of proportion and I shouldn't be so hard on myself," replied the make up artist with a grin.

"Oh, when we tell you that, you don't listen. But if Chris says it, you believe him. Charlie, are you really so oblivious to the fact you're into each other?" asked Kelly, with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm oblivious to nothing," protested Charlotte with a pout. "I'm just a little slow at realizing things."

"A little? If you were any slower, you'd be going backwards," teased Paulo. "Come on, you're gotta have noticed that Jericho always has an excuse to come and chat to you at work."

"Well, yeah, ok. But that doesn't mean anything. Y'all stop by too if you have the time," reasoned the make up artist, completely missing the point of the hairstylist's comment.

"It's more than that," insisted Candice, as the five friends all climbed into an available cab. "You know he got really jealous when you were seeing Ryan? To me, that isn't the behaviour of a friend, but of someone who's into you."

"Really? He was bothered by me seeing Ryan?" questioned Charlotte, and then suddenly something dawned on her. "Oh, so that's why he was avoiding me until today?"

"Of course, you idiot. He likes you, and couldn't stand the thought of you dating someone else," informed Maria with a grin.

"But then when things ended badly with Ryan, and you we're all depressed, Jericho was there instantly to cheer you up," added Kelly, as though all of this should have been obvious to her friend.

"Seriously, y'all think he likes me?" questioned the make up artist eagerly.

"My God, you really are clueless, aren't you?" exclaimed Paulo facetiously. "Yes, he likes you. The question is do you like him?"

Charlotte contemplated the question momentarily, unsure when her sudden confusion about the wrestler had come from.

"Honestly, I don't know. We get on great, and he's damn sexy, but I don't know," she sighed in reply. "I mean, we're only just starting to get to know each other. It isn't something I've thought about. Besides, there's Abby to consider too."

"Yeah, but y'all get on with each other. Maybe something could happen between you?" suggested Kelly, as the group arrived at the pizzeria.

"I don't know," shrugged Charlotte, as the five friends were shown to their table. "I'm still dealing with everything that happened between Ryan and I. I can't think about anything – or anyone – else right now. So, I'd really appreciate it if y'all could drop it, at least until I've had time to work out how I'm feeling."

The others nodded in agreement, as they all sat down at their table and began browsing through the menus.

After their order had been made – a bottle of white wine, a large salad bowl, a portion of garlic bread, and a large pizza for them all to share – the friends started chatting again.

"So, how are things going with Josh?" Charlotte asked Maria.

"Really good, thanks. I saw him during our time off, and we went to the cinema and then out for dinner," replied the diva. "I really like him, and the relationship is going well."

"That's great," returned the blonde, to which the others nodded to express that they felt the same. "We're all really pleased for you."

"So, when are we going to be introduced to him properly?" inquired Candice, as their drinks and starter arrived.

"Yeah, we only saw him briefly in the night club," added Paulo, pouring them each a glass of wine.

"And we have to give him our seal of approval," continued Kelly, handing out the garlic bread.

"How about next week, after Raw?" suggested Maria. "We could all go out for dinner again?"

"Yeah, that sounds great," replied Charlotte. "Going for dinner will give us all a chance to get to know him."

"Ok, I'll give him a ring later, and arrange it all," promised the diva.

"So, how are things with you, Paulo?" asked Kelly. "Did you meet any nice guys when you went clubbing with Charlie and Ellie?"

The hairstylist blushed and looked away, Charlotte knowing what had caused the embarrassed reaction in her friend -- his feelings for Jeff Hardy.

"There is someone, isn't there?" asked Maria expectantly. "Go on, spill."

The Latino took a large sip of his wine, and then turned his attention back to his friends.

"Yes, there is, but things are complicated," confessed Paulo.

"Then tell us about it? Maybe we can help?" suggested Candice.

The hairstylist looked to Charlotte for conformation that he should tell the divas about his feelings for Jeff, and when the blonde nodded, he began.

"Ok, it's Jeff Hardy. I've liked him since I started working for the WWE, I just don't know if he feels the same," he sighed.

Maria and Kelly squealed with delight, as Charlotte and Candice grinned at the Latino.

"Well, I know for a fact that he's into guys and girls," informed Maria, with a wink.

"Really?" asked Paulo expectantly. "So, that means I might stand a chance?"

"Of course you stand a chance," encouraged Candice. "The two of you get along great, and what man could resist you; you're a total hottie."

"Yeah, you are. If it wasn't for the fact I'm seriously lacking in the penis department, I'd be interested," commented Kelly facetiously. "You should totally ask him out."

"But what if Jeff isn't interested and I ruin my friendship with him?" protested the hairstylist.

"And what if you don't say anything, he meets someone else and you regret it for the rest of your life?" insisted Charlotte. "If this whole experience with Ryan has taught me anything, it's that you've got to take a risk now and again. Ok, so things between me and him ended badly, but at least I wasn't always questioning 'what if?'"

"Charlie is right," continued Maria. "If I hadn't taken a risk getting to know Josh, I wouldn't be half as happy as I am now."

"And there's every chance he feels the same, and the two of you will get together," added Kelly.

"Maybe," shrugged Paulo. "But I'm still scared to death of telling him how I feel."

"Well, do you want us to do the ground work? See how Jeff feels and then let you know?" offered Candice.

"Ok, but you've got to do it subtly. I know what you lot are like, and I don't want you just coming out with it, ok?" asked the Latino.

The four women agreed they'd ask Jeff tactfully, and let the hairstylist know if it was a good idea to approach the wrestler.

When their pizza arrived, the five friends all fell silent, as they began eating. After a delicious meal, Charlotte, Candice, Maria, Kelly and Paulo decided to remain in the pizzeria and have a few drinks before they headed back to the hotel.

Over a couple more bottles of wine, the friends continued chatting happily; mostly about Maria's relationship with Josh, and their plans for the following week.

Finally, the group decided to call it a night, and all caught a cab back to the hotel. When they arrived in the lobby, the bar was closing up for the night, and no one else was about. With nothing else to do with themselves – and all feeling a little tipsy from the three bottles of wine they'd consumed – Maria, Candice, Kelly, Charlotte and Paulo decided to turn in. They all agreed to meet the following day for lunch, and then headed up to their respective rooms.

When the blonde arrived in her room, she found her roommate, Ashley, chatting away to someone on her cell phone. So, the make up artist ran herself a hot bubble bath, and relaxed in the warm water with her romance novel.

Charlotte finally got into bed that night, feeling peaceful and relaxed. The situation with Ryan was now behind her, and she'd had a great time with her friends. Sighing happily to herself, the blonde fell into a contented sleep.


	10. I wanna hold your hand

**Author's Notes: **I just want to say thanks to **Fozzy-Floozy, Inday, jada951, WWESupernatural102292, Rheya-Goddess **and** Westfan **for your awesome review for chapter nine! Seriously, your comments mean the world to me guys!

* * *

**Chapter Ten: I wanna hold your hand.**

That morning, when she woke up, Charlotte was feeling in a much more positive mood than she had been for the past few days.

Going out with her friends the night before had been just what the blonde had needed; listening to Maria gush about her relationship with Josh, and Paulo talk about his feeling for Jeff had really warmed the make up artist's heart.

Additionally, Charlotte was still contemplating her feelings for Jericho – which wasn't a bad thing. The blonde had just never thought of the wrestler in that way. They got on well, but still hardly knew each other. Maybe when they did know each the better, she might consider something more, she mused to herself. However, for now, Charlotte was just happy being friends with the Canadian. 

After showering, dressing, and packing the last few things into her suitcase, Charlotte headed down to meet Paulo for breakfast. The two beauty employees always had their first meal of the day together, and then rode in the Latino's rental car to the airport. As Maria, Candice and Kelly were all due in a meeting that morning, they were scheduled on a different flight from the crew members, and therefore, the blonde didn't expect to see her friends until lunch time.

After a quick breakfast, Charlotte and Paulo made their way to the airport, checked in and waited for their flight to be called. On that morning, the weather had finally started to do what it had been threatening to do for weeks — become colder. As summer turned to fall, and the leaves changed to various shades of red, orange, yellow and gold, a chill could be felt in the air.

"God, I'm glad I brought that new winter coat," commented the blonde, as she and the Latino waited for their plane. "I'm already freezing, and we're not even into winter yet."

"Tell me about it.. Before we know it, it'll be Thanksgiving, and then Christmas," agreed Paulo. "Have you got any plans for the holidays yet?"

"Just the usual, spending time with my family. Oh, and the New Year's Eve party Orton and Cena are throwing. You're coming, right?" returned Charlotte.

"Of course, I wouldn't miss it for the world," grinned Paulo. "Do you remember last year's, when Melina and John Morrison had that big fight in front of everyone?"

"Oh God, yeah. And Mel called him every name under the sun, because she thought John was cheating on her, but it turns out she'd mistaken him for someone from the sound department," laughed Charlotte, remembering the drama from last New Year.

"Yeah, and I had to spend the whole night trying to get them back together," sighed Paulo with a roll of his eyes. "This year, I'm keeping clear of any tension. I just want to have a laugh with my friends."

"Well, avoiding drama won't be easy at a WWE party, especially one thrown by Cena and Orton. I swear trouble follows those two around. Remember the year before last, when they got into a fight about some girl?" commented Charlotte.

"And it turned out she had a twin sister all along," reminisced Paulo, with a laugh. "God, they bragged about that conquest for days."

"I can imagine," giggled Charlotte, with a shake of her head. "Hopefully this year, no one will mistake their lover's identity or hook up with the girl their best mate had just been hitting on. Although, if Jeff is interested in you, it would be the perfect opportunity for you to make your move on him. You know, with everyone in high spirits and alcohol flowing."

"Let's just see what you, Candice, Kelly and Maria find out first. I don't want to be the one causing all the drama by making a fool of myself," insisted Paulo.

"Good point," agreed Charlotte. "I'll have a word with him today if you want?"

"Sure, but keep it discreet," warned Paulo.

"I'll be the perfect model of subtly," promised Charlotte with a grin.

After Charlotte had headed to the restroom, their flight was called, and she and Paulo got onto the plane. The two friends passed the journey chatting more about their plans for the fast approaching holidays; the Latino confessing he'd probably be stopping on his own for Thanksgiving, as he could only afford to fly home to Puerto Rico for Christmas.

"Oh, you can't be all alone over the holiday," insisted Charlotte. "Let me clear it with Mama and see if you can stop with us."

"I couldn't impose on you and your family like that," protested Paulo.

"Rubbish, you're my friend, and it would be no trouble at all," said Charlotte firmly.

Knowing it was no use arguing with her any more, the Latino gratefully agreed, promising to help out with the cooking. 

The reminder of the flight passed peacefully, and thankfully luggage collection was quick and hassle free.

Paulo collected his new rental car, and then he and Charlotte rode to the hotel. When they arrived, the blonde's cell began to ring, and she stayed in the parking lot to answer it.

"I'll take this out here, because I doubt I'll find anywhere quiet enough inside to hear the other person speaking, especially if Ashley is in our room," she said, stopping on a bench, and fishing her cell out of her purse. "I'll meet you and the girls in the hotel restaurant for lunch later."

"Ok, see you in a bit," Paulo called back over his shoulder, as he dragged his suitcase behind him.

Charlotte answered her phone, and was surprised to hear her brother on the other end.

"CJ, what are you calling me in the middle of the day about?" she asked, suddenly concerned something had happened to one of their family members or Jeanie. 

"I'm on a break, and thought it would be nice to catch up," replied CJ, putting his sister's fears to rest. "Ellie mentioned what happened between you and that Ryan guy, and I just wanted to check you're ok."

"I'm fine," assured Charlotte. "But thanks for the concern. I went out with some friends last night, had a really good time and now I'm feeling much better."

"That's a relief," sighed CJ. "When Ellie told me how drunk you got the last time you were home, I was worried about you."

"I was still wallowing in self-pity then, and handled the situation badly. However, I promise, I'm ok now," insisted Charlotte again. "So you can quit fretting, and tell me how things with you and Jeanie are. Y'all are ok, right? You're still thinking of moving in together?"

"Yeah, we are. We've been saving for a few months, and have viewed a couple of prospective places. However, Mama and Pops still don't know, so don't say anything, ok?" checked CJ.

"Of course I wouldn't," promised Charlotte. "Just make sure you let them know before you get engaged or anything like that, because you know Mama will have kittens if you don't."

The older brother chuckled and assured his sister he wouldn't leave their parents out of his and Jeanie's marriage arrangements.

"Right, I best be getting back to work. Look after yourself, Charlie, and don't be a stranger so much. You know I miss my baby sister."

Charlotte laughed and replied, "I'd hardly say I'm a baby at twenty-nine, CJ, but I promise I'll keep in touch more."

"You better," teased CJ. "I'll see you soon, hopefully, and remember, I love you, squirt."

"Love you too CJ," Charlotte answered, before ringing off, and slipping her cell back into her purse.

As the blonde grabbed her case and began wheeling it in the direction of the hotel, a car horn beeped, and she jumped almost a mile into the air.

Whipping around, the make up artist saw Jericho climbing into his rental car.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, Charlie," he said with a laugh.

"It's ok; I was away with the faeries anyway. My brother just called, and was being all soppy on me. It always freaks me out when CJ is sensitive, he just isn't that type of guy," giggled Charlotte, slowing down so the Canadian could catch up with her.

"Evan is the same. He called me on my birthday and said 'I really love you, man'. I had to ask if he was drunk or something, because we haven't said we love each other since we were kids," informed Jericho with a grin of his own, as he grabbed the handle of Charlotte's suitcase and began carrying it for her.

"Guys," giggled Charlotte with a roll of her eyes. "Why do you always have trouble expressing your emotions? Oh, and thanks for grabbing my case for me."

"Hey, I may not express my feelings as much as I should, but I know how to be a gentleman," he insisted with a wink.

"Well, I really appreciate it. With the change in weather, my hands are freezing, and carrying that case was killing them," confessed Charlotte, blowing on her fingers that were slowly turning blue.

"You need some gloves," suggested Jericho, stopping to see if Charlotte was ok, as she'd slowed down a little.

"I do have some, but I didn't think I'd need them yet and left them at home," sighed Charlotte, now flexing her fingers to stop them tensing up.

"Come here," said Jericho, and when the blonde approached him, he dropped the cases and grabbed her icy hands.

The wrestler took Charlotte's numb fingers and started rubbing them until the circulation had returned. 

"Any better?" he asked.

"Yes thanks," she replied with a blush, as she shoved her hands in her pockets. The simple act of the Canadian warming her fingers for her, had caused butterflies to form in Charlotte's stomach, and she wondered what had suddenly come over her.

"So, did you do anything interesting last night?" asked Jericho.

"Yeah, I went out for dinner with Maria, Candice, Kelly and Paulo. It was a lot of fun, and great to catch up with them all properly, in stead of just going to a night club," she answered. "How about you? What did you do with your night?"

"Nothing much really. I chatted to Abby on the phone for a couple of hours, then had a few beers from the mini-bar and watched some hockey on TV," replied Jericho.

"Sounds good," said Charlotte, with a grin. "How is Abby? You still want me to watch her on Saturday?"

"Please," her replied, with a warm smile. "And she's really good, thanks for asking. When I told her you and the divas would be watching her at the weekend, she got really excited."

"Aww, bless her heart," said Charlotte with a giggle. "I'm actually really looking forwards to seeing her too."

The couple reached the hotel, checked in, and then Jericho carried both of their cases to the elevator, as Charlotte pressed the call button.

"What floor are you on?" he asked, as they stepped inside. 

"Third. You?" she returned, as the doors shut.

"Fourth, but I'll get out with you, so I can carry your case to the door," insisted Jericho.

"You don't have to do that, Chris," protested Charlotte.

"No, I don't, but I want to. Carrying your suitcase is the least I can do to thank you for watching Abby again," he reasoned.

"Well, if you put it like that, who am I to argue," she teased.

When they reached the third floor, the couple stepped out of the elevator, Jericho still pulling Charlotte's case and his own behind him.

They reached the blonde's hotel room, and she slipped her key card into the lock. 

After noticing Ashley wasn't around, Charlotte turned to Jericho and asked, "Fancy coming in for a coffee?"

"Yeah, ok then," her agreed, with a grin. 

As the blonde kicked off her pumps and slipped them under her bed, Jericho set the suitcases down by the wardrobe and then sat down on Charlotte's bed.

"How do you take you coffee?" Charlotte asked, switching on the kettle and locating two mugs.

"White, with two sugars please," Jericho replied, taking off his own trainers and slipping them under the bed.

The blonde set the steaming bugs of coffee down on the night stand, and then hopped onto the bed besides Jericho.

"You know, you don't have to sit there in silence, you can put the TV on," she teased.

"Nah, I'm good thanks," he replied, with a mischievous grin. "Besides, you invited me in for coffee, so it's your job to keep me amused."

"And how pray tell do you suggest I do that?" Charlotte asked facetiously.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe by showing me one of your high school cheer-leading routines," he joked in response.

"Ok, you sing one of Fozzy's songs for me, and you've got yourself a deal," she returned with a wink.

Jericho blushed, and then said, "No, I'll sound terrible without any music or the band."

"Spoilt sport," said Charlotte with a fake pout. "Well, no cheer-leading for you then."

"Oh, come on, you owe me for carrying your case all the way from the parking lot," insisted Jericho, pretending to sulk.

"Nah-ah, buster. As I remember, you offered, and then said it was in thanks for me watching Abby again," she teased.

"Fine," he pouted. "But I will get you to show me your cheer-leading routines one day."

"And I'll get you to sing for me," returned Charlotte facetiously.

* * *

That afternoon, before she was due to travel to the arena, Charlotte met Paulo, Kelly, Candice and Maria for lunch in the hotel restaurant.

The three divas and hairstylist were already waiting for the blonde when she arrived, five glasses and a jug of orange juice on the table in front of them.

"We thought you weren't coming; you've been that long," commented Candice as the make up artist sat down.

"Yeah, sorry about that, Ashley was hogging the shower," Charlotte half-lied in reply. While it was true the blonde's room-mate had taken an extraordinary amount of time to freshen up, the make up artist could have used the washroom first, if she hadn't spent half the morning chatting to Jericho. "So, what did y'all do with your morning?"

"Nothing much, just took a nap and watched a bit of TV," replied Kelly with a shrug.

The other three responded that they'd done pretty much the same, and then the ECW diva asked, "How about you? Paulo mentioned you got a phone call just as you arrived at the hotel, was it anyone interesting?"

"Oh, it was just CJ, calling to see if I was ok. Ellie told him about me getting drunk the other night, and he was a bit concerned," replied Charlotte, almost forgetting she'd spoken to her brother, as she was still reminiscing about the time she and Jericho had just spent together. 

"Oh, that's sweet of him," commented Maria. "So, did you do anything else, apart from fighting for the shower with Ashley?"

The blonde instantly blushed deep red, a dead give away to her friends that her morning had consisted of more than just napping and watching TV. Then, as if to add more proof to the situation, Jericho entered the restaurant and made his way over to the make up artist and her friends.

"Hey, thanks again for the coffee and that chat," he said, as he rested his arms on the back of Charlotte's chair. "And sorry I made you late for lunch."

Maria, Kelly, Candice and Paulo exchanged scandalized looks, as the blonde buried her head in the menu and the Canadian looked perplexed that his simple statement had caused such a reaction.

"Ah-ha, so that's why you were held up?" exclaimed Kelly with a maniacal grin. 

Charlotte continued to say nothing, and tried to slide underneath the table, where her friends wouldn't be able to see her. 

The Canadian laughed. "Of course that's what held her up. I'm so gorgeous you just couldn't stop looking at me, could you, Charlie?" he asked facetiously.

Jericho making light of the fact that her friends obviously thought there was something going on between them, brought the blonde out of her embarrassment.

"Naturally," she giggled in reply. "I spent the whole morning fantasizing about ripping your clothes off actually."

"Baby," he said, with a huge grin, as he leaned down close to her. "You don't need to fantasize, just ask and I'll be happy to oblige."

Charlotte bust out laughing, as the divas and Paulo now took their turn to look utterly confused at what was going on before them.

"As tempting as that offer is, honey, I think I'll pass. After all, I don't want to have to be bleaching my eyes afterwards," the make up artist teased.

"Oh damn, and here was I thinking no woman could resist my charms," returned Jericho with a fake pout. "Well, in that case, I'll go somewhere I'm actually appreciated."

"Chris, what have I told you about looking in mirrors? You know your reflection doesn't count as a real relationship," the blonde joked.

The wrestler stuck out his bottom lip, and gave Charlotte a look of pure 'puppy dog' longing, before ruffling her hair and walking off.

"Fine, just don't come crying to me when you've missed your chance," he called back over his shoulder, with a heart melting wink.

The make up artist giggled again, and then turned back to her friends, all of whom were wearing expressions of utter shock.

"What? Didn't I tell you Chris is my secret sex partner?" she asked facetiously, as the divas and hairstylist gave her another bewildered looked. Charlotte felt sure this would put an end to their crazy theories about herself and the wrestler, and happily began browsing the menu for something to eat.

The remainder of lunched passed cheerfully, Maria, Candice, Charlotte, Kelly and Paulo discussing their plans for their time off, and talking about what would happen when Maria introduced them all to Josh.

"You've gotta promise not to give him the Spanish inquisition though," pleaded the petite diva.

"What, us hassle a guy you're dating? Never," returned Candice with mock innocence.

"We only do it because we care and don't want you to get hurt," insisted Charlotte. "You don't want a repeat performance of what happened with Ryan and I."

"And besides, you'd do the same for us," added Kelly, with a smirk.

"Even if we don't ask you to," continued Paulo with a cheeky grin.

"Ok, ok. You can make sure he meets your standards," sighed Maria resignedly. "Just don't scare him off, ok?"

"Well, if he isn't good enough to meet our approval and gets scared off, he isn't worth it in the first place," reasoned Charlotte, to which the others nodded in agreement.

* * *

That evening at work passed uneventfully for Charlotte. Thankfully the gossip about herself and Ryan had now stopped; the blonde assumed it was due to the fact the WWE had just released the results of their latest "Wellness testing', revealing a few top stars to have been taking illegal drugs.

In addition, since their last fight, Beth Phoenix hadn't spoken to the make up artist. Charlotte hoped the matter would now be dropped, but had a horrible feeling of foreboding concerning the 'Glamazon'. It wasn't like the diva to back a way from a fight, and the blonde feared there would be ramifications to the altercation they'd have a few days before. 

However, as Charlotte mused about the week to come - and meeting Josh - Beth Phoenix was the last thing on her mind.

What the blonde was really wondering about, was how the dynamics of her friendships would change should Maria and Josh settle down, and then if the others coupled off too.

Paulo was interested in Jeff – and there was a high hope the wrestler would return the hairstylist's feelings. Additionally, Candice and Kelly were never short of male admirers, so it would only be a matter of time before they started dating someone too.

The make up artist sighed, and flopped back onto her stool, feeling as though she was destined to be alone for the rest of her life. In the four years since she'd broken up with Dylan and started dating again, she hadn't met one single guy she might actually be able to settle down and have a future with. However, the blonde thought to herself that she'd rather be alone, than in an unhappy relationship like Ryan and his wife obviously were. And maybe she could forgo having someone to cuddle up to at night, if it meant keeping her independence and being able to hang out with her friends whenever she wanted.

Charlotte suddenly realized what she had to do was discover who she was as a person, without guys and dating always at the forefront of her mind. She needed to reaffirm her sense of self worth, and remember that being with a guy didn't justify her existence.

However, that epiphany didn't stop the make up artist feeling a little alone, especially when she thought of how happy Maria and Josh seemed together. 

Suddenly the sound of a man's voice shook Charlotte from her thoughts, and she looked up to see Jeff Hardy grinning at her.

"Hey, Charlie, is Paulo around?" the wrestler asked. "I was hoping he'd braid my hair again for me."

"Sorry, but he had to rush off to a hair emergency in the women's lockerroom," replied the blonde, trying to stifle a giggle. "Apparently Melina's hair extensions have started to come unstuck."

"Oh, right," laughed Jeff, imagining the Latina with fake hair falling off her head. "Any idea when he'll be back? Because my match is next."

"Sorry, Jeff, I think he could be some time," returned Charlotte with a shrug. "But I can braid your hair if you want? I took a minor in hair-dressing at college, and doing braids isn't too difficult."

"Are you sure you don't mind?" asked Jeff. "Because if it'll get in the way of your work, I don't wanna cause any trouble."

"It's fine, it's quiet around here, and I could use something to do actually," grinned Charlotte, hopping off the stool to allow the wrestler to get on.

As the make up artist plaited his multi-colored hair, she was struck by a sudden source of inspiration, and thought this would be the perfect opportunity to ask Jeff about his feeling towards Paulo.

"So, are you going to the New Year's Eve party?" she inquired casually.

"Of course. When would I ever turn down a night out?" returned Jeff. "Are you?"

"Yeah, you know me, where there's a party, I'll be there," joked Charlotte. "So, are you thinking of taking anyone?"

"I haven't given it much consideration to be honest," he shrugged in reply. "I mean, there's no one I'm really into at the minute, so maybe I'll just hook up on the night, who knows."

Jeff's reply caused Charlotte to wonder if he wasn't interested in Paulo at all, or if the thought of dating him had just never crossed Jeff's mind. However, without making it totally obvious that the hairstylist had feelings for the wrestler, she couldn't really ask. 

Additionally, the blonde couldn't really question Jeff's sexuality for clues on his feeling towards the Latino; aside from it been just plain rude, it would again make it apparent she was fishing on Paulo's behalf. 

In the end, all the make up artist could ask was, "So, you haven't got your eye on anyone at the moment?"

Thankfully, Jeff took Charlotte's question as nothing more than friendly curiosity, and replied, "Kind of, but things are complex. I don't want to say anything, only for him to reject me."

The blonde grinned to herself, at least she knew now that the wrestler was interested in men and women.

"Well, couldn't you subtly ask around, to see if he feels the same way, before acting on your feelings?" she inquired.

"Yeah, I guess," shrugged Jeff. "But I'm shy, and was kind of hoping, if the guy is interested, he'd ask me."

"But what if he's shy too?" insisted Charlotte. "Y'all could spend forever pussy-footing around each other, and never actually end up together."

"Or, I could admit the truth, have him turn me down and feel like a total loser," reasoned Jeff. "After what happened with Casey from the photography department, I'm not up for that type of rejection again."

A sad look crossed the wrestler's face, and it made the make up artist wish she could sort out all his romantic problems for him. Hopefully, Paulo was indeed the guy Jeff had feelings for, and somehow, she could get the two of them together. 

With his hair now fully braided, Jeff jumped down from the stool, and headed off along the corridor to his match.

"Thanks for doing my hair for me, Charlie," he called over his shoulder. "And say 'hi' to Paulo for me."

"Will do, and have a good match," Charlotte shouted back. "Catch you later, Jeff."

Once the wrestler had departed, Charlotte looked at her watch, and noticing the show was almost over, began packing her own and Paulo's kit away. The hairstylist finally returned as the blonde was just beginning to sweep the floor, and in gratitude for the make up artist holding the fort all night, the Latino took over the last of the cleaning duties.

Finally, the two beauty employees were finished for the night, and rode back to the hotel in Paulo's rental car. Once there, they showered, changed and then met up with their friends in the hotel lobby for a night out at a local bar.


	11. It's Official

**Author's Notes: **I just want to say thanks to **cassymae, Fozzy-Floozy, Disco Inferno1, Rheya-Goddess, karategirl **and** Super T **for your awesome review for chapter ten! You guys rock!

Additional thanks to Super T and Disco Inferno1 for your reviews for chapter nine, and purplefeather21 for your review of chapter one!

Finally, I'd like to thank both Gin (Disco Inferno1, User ID: 339498) and Karen (IMissPadfoot, User ID: 1133633) for your comments and help with this chapter. Love ya both very much!

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: It's Official**

That morning, when Charlotte woke up she had a pounding hangover; not surprising really, considering the amount of alcohol she consumed the night before, when she'd hit a bar with Candice, Maria, Kelly and Paulo.

Feeling as though something had crawled into her mouth and died during the night, the blonde stumbled out of bed, and staggered to the wash-room. After spending five full minutes looking at her tired and drawn features in the mirror above the sink, the make up artist finally made it into the shower.

The hot water spraying down on her soothed Charlotte's aching body, and cleared her head. After brushing her teeth three times, and rinsing with two cups of mouth-wash, the blonde felt ready to face the world.

Charlotte met Paulo in the hotel restaurant for breakfast as usual, before the two beauty employees made their way to the airport and flew to the state of that night's houseshow.

When the friends arrived at the hotel, a message was waiting in reception for the blonde. It was from Jericho, saying he was already in his room, and had Abigail ready for whenever the make up artist was free to watch her.

"Do you wanna take my keycard and head on up to my room?" Charlotte asked Paulo, after they'd checked in. "I'll go and collect Abby, and then we can find something to do for the day."

"Sure," replied Paulo, offering to take the make up artist's case to her room for her.

The blonde rode in the elevator with the hairstylist, but got off a floor below him, before walking along the corridor trying to find the wrestler's room.

Locating the door with a large number '358' emblazed on the front in gold, Charlotte knocked loudly. A few minutes later, the door opened, and Jericho stood on the other side, smiling at the make up artist.

"Hey, Charlie, how was your flight?" he asked, letting Charlotte into his room.

"Good thanks, and yours?" she returned.

"Not too bad, thanks. Abby forced me into watching the in-flight movie, which just happened to be _Meangirls_. She found it amusing, but I was bored to death," Jericho commented with a laugh.

"Oh, I love that film," replied Charlotte with a grin.

"Figured you would," he teased, as Abby appeared from the wash-room.

"Hey, Charlotte," she greeted cheerily.

"Hey, Abby," said Charlotte, taking a step towards the girl. "Your dad was just telling me about how you watched _Meangirls_ on the plane, great film isn't it?"

"It's awesome, I just love Lindsay Lohan," gushed Abby. "I've like, seen all her movies, ever."

"Me too," squealed Charlotte. "She's fantastic in _Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen _."

"I know! Her outfits are totally wicked in that movie," agreed Abby, and then the two females fell into a lengthy conversation about every film Lindsay Lohan had ever starred in, completely forgetting Jericho was still in the room.

Finally, the wrestler cleared his throat, and brought Charlotte and Abby back to reality.

"Sorry, dad, it's just so cool knowing someone who likes the same films as I do," commented Abby. "Mum says they're all mindless trash."

The Canadian laughed, looking between his daughter and the make up artist with an amused smile.

"Well, as the pair of you like so many of the same films, why don't you rent a DVD or something?" he suggested, fishing some money out of his jeans pocket.

"Chris, its fine," protested Charlotte, pushing his out stretched hand away. "I'll pay for us to see a film."

"No, I couldn't get you to do that. You're looking after Abby for me, when you could be relaxing, I'll pay for a movie," he insisted, taking another note out of his pocket. "And get some snacks too."

Abby began bouncing on the balls of her feet excitedly, as the blonde contemplated the offer.

"Ok, but only if you're sure?" she checked.

"Yes, I'm sure," assured Jericho with a grin. "Now go have some fun."

"Ok, we will," beamed Charlotte, as Abby jumped up and down happily. "Do you want me to bring her to your locker-room when I get to the arena, and then watch her during your match?"

"If you wouldn't mind, that'd be great, thanks," replied Jericho. "As I said the other day, I won't be too long."

"Take however long you need," she insisted. "I'll make sure Abby has some lunch, and dinner, and I'll get her back to you safely. Anything she doesn't like, or isn't allowed to eat?"

"No, just not too much sugar," he joked, before turning to his daughter. "I don't want you more hyper than you already are."

"Yes, Dad," returned Abby with a roll of her eyes. "And I promise to be as good as gold for Charlotte."

"Glad to here it," said Jericho, smiling at his daughter. "Now get going, and have a great time."

"We will," grinned Charlotte, as she took Abby's hand subconsciously. "And good luck in your meeting."

"Thanks, although I'm sure it will be pretty boring and you two will have much more fun," said Jericho facetiously, before bending down so he was at eye level with Abby. "I love you, sweetheart."

"Love you too, Daddy," Abby replied, as her father kissed her on the forehead.

"Thanks again for this, Charlie," Jericho said, as he saw Charlotte and Abby to the door.

"Anytime, Chris," she called back, as they stepped into the corridor.

After the hotel room door had closed, the make up artist turned to her young friend, "So, what movie do you wanna watch?"

"I've been wanting to see _Material Girls_ for a while; you know, that one with the Duff sisters in?" asked Abby.

"Ok, well, we'll ask Paulo to drive us down to a rental store and see if they have it. Oh, and we can pick up some snacks and lunch while we're out. Anything you fancy?" inquired Charlotte.

"No, seeing as I picked the movie, you can choose what we have to eat," offered Abby kindly. "Oh, and who is Paulo?"

The blonde laughed, forgetting that Abby wouldn't know everyone in her world. "Paulo is the WWE's hairstylist, and one of my best friends," she informed.

"Oh cool. So, is he hanging out with us today?" questioned Abby eagerly.

"He sure is, he should be waiting in my room now. And hopefully, Candice, Maria and Kelly will be joining us soon, too," revealed Charlotte with a broad smile.

"Really? Actual WWE divas are going to be hanging out with us?" Abby asked, her eyes full of awe, and when Charlotte nodded, she added, "That is so cool. I know my dad is a wrestler and all, but he just hangs out with his band, or guys like Edge, and they're no fun. All they ever talk about is sports, cars, and women they like. If I wanted to hear that, I'd stay at school longer."

The make up artist laughed, and nodded her head, "I know, it's pretty hard to discuss the latest fashions with a load of guys, isn't it?"

The girl giggled, and agreed that the only thing men know about fashion was 'if it's still clean, I can wear it.'

When they reached the blonde's room, Charlotte let them both in, and found Paulo sitting on the bed, a mug of coffee in his hands.

"The kettle has just boiled, do you want me to make you one, Charlie?" he offered, before turning to Abby. "And you must be Abby, I can tell because you look like your dad."

The eleven-year-old blushed, smiled and inched further into the room.

"Don't worry, Abby, Paulo doesn't bite," assure Charlotte, as she made herself a coffee and took a can of coke from the mini-bar for Abigail. "So, have you heard from the girls? Are they joining us?"

"Yeah, Kelly phoned just before you got back, they'll be up in about ten minutes," replied Paulo. "And Abby, Charlie is right, I don't bite. Come over here, so I can get a better look at that gorgeous hair of yours."

Abigail grinned, took her drink from Charlotte, and then sat besides Paulo on the bed. Instantly the two started chatting.

Five minutes later, there was a knock on the door, and when the make up artist answered it, she found Candice, Kelly and Maria waiting on the other side, all grinning from ear to ear.

The blonde then let divas in, and introduced them all to Abigail, which the girl seemed thrilled about, and then they all started discussing their plans for the day.

"Well, Dad gave Charlotte some money so we could rent a movie," revealed Abby. "But I'm happy to do whatever you guys want."

"A movie sounds great, honey," replied Candice warmly. "What did you have in mind?"

"I wouldn't mind renting _Material Girls_," Abby offered.

"Awesome, I love that film," commented Maria. "Good choice."

"Me too," added Kelly with a grin.

"Ok, shall I drive us all down to the rental store, and then we can grab some food too?" suggested Paulo.

"Sounds like a plan," replied Charlotte, as she grabbed her purse.

An hour later, they all returned, with the DVD, a huge bag of popcorn, a bottle of coke, and a burger and fries each.

Charlotte, Kelly, Candice, Maria, Paulo and Abigail settled in various places around the room, as the make up artist put _Material Girls_ in the DVD player, then they all fell silent to watch the film; the only noise to be heard was the sound of eating.

After spending most of the day pigging out, relaxing and having a good time, it was finally time for everyone to be going to work. As Charlotte and Paulo had to set up the beauty area before everyone else arrived, they left earlier.

While Abigail sat flicking through a magazine, the make up artist showered and changed into her working clothes. Then, the two females met the hairstylist in the hotel lobby, and the three of them traveled to the arena together.

After signing in, the blonde and Latino set up their equipment for the evening, Abby helping in any way she could.

Charlotte was delighted with how well she and Abby were getting along, and was thrilled at how quickly the girl had taken to Paulo, Candice, Kelly and Maria. Additionally, the older blonde genuinely thought that Abigail could have quite a successful career in beauty as an adult, if she so wished. The pre-teen had a natural aptitude for knowing what looked good on a person, and all she was lacking was confidence, something Charlotte hoped she'd be able to instill in the girl as their friendship grew.

When everything had been set up for the evening, and the first wrestlers of the night began to appear, the make up artist decided it was time to take Abby back to her dad's lockerroom. Charlotte knew, as it was a Saturday, the houseshow would be more action-packed then the ones during the week, and therefore, she would be busier and possibly unable to watch the eleven-year-old as fully as she should. In addition, she assumed the girl would want to spend some time with Jericho, and see how his meeting had gone.

When they reached the wrestler's lockerroom, Charlotte knocked loudly, and then waited for Jericho to answer. A few moments later, he did, already dressed in his wrestling gear.

The blonde did a double take, seeing him wearing blue wrestling tights, and nothing much else, caused her breath to catch in her throat. His toned chest was gleaming with what she could only assume was baby oil, and his hair was styled in its usual spiked manner, causing the make up artist's heart race to rise rapidly.

"Oh, hi," she squeaked. "I was, just erm..."

"Hey, daddy," Abigail said, breaking the silence that had occurred, and bounding into the dressing room. "How was your meeting?"

"Good thanks, we just went over coming storylines", Jericho replied, giving Charlotte a quick smirk, before turning his attention to his daughter. "How was your afternoon? I hope you had fun and behaved yourself."

"Of course I was good," Abby returned with a roll of her eyes, as she plopped down on the leather couch. "And yes, I had a great time, thanks. Charlie's friends, Paulo, Kelly, Maria and Candice hung out with us too, and we all watched a movie together and pigged out all afternoon. It was awesome."

The Canadian chuckled, kissed his daughter on the forehead, and then turned to Charlotte.

"Are you sure she was no trouble?" he checked.

The blonde remained in the door way, silently transfixed by the way the light was playing on the wrestler's muscular chest.

"Hello? Charlotte, anyone in there?" shouted Jericho. "Or are you off at space cadet camp?"

"Erm... sorry, what were you saying, Chris?" Charlotte replied, snapping out of her trance.

"Forget it, I can tell you're more interested in looking at my gorgeous body," he teased, with a cheeky grin, before sitting down next to Abby.

Abigail started to giggle, and looked hopefully between her father and the make up artist.

"I so was not checking you out," insisted Charlotte, turning bright red.

"You don't have to be embarrassed, baby. I'm a sexy beast, you can't be blamed for taking a look," said Jericho facetiously.

This caused Abby to begin howling with laughter, as the make up artist tried to back out of the room, which resulted in her bumping into the closed door.

"Oh Christ," she screamed in frustration, discovering the door was closed. "Ok, I was checking you out. You're hot and I couldn't help looking. Now that we're done humiliating me, can we be serious again please?"

Abigail continued to laugh, as her father joined in. However, when Charlotte glared at them through narrowed eyes, they both fell silent.

"Thank you," she said. "Now, what was it you asked me, Chris?"

"I just wanted to check if Abby behaved herself this afternoon," he replied, a slight smirk still playing on his face.

"Yeah, of course, she was as good as gold," informed Charlotte with a warm smile and a nod towards the girl. "Do you still want me to watch her during your match?"

"If you wouldn't mind, please," returned Jericho, and when the blonde nodded, he continued. "I'll bring her round to your work station before I head to the gorilla position, ok?"

"Sure," said Charlotte brightly. "And Abby, you're up for coming back to the hotel and grabbing some food with me after the show, right?"

"Can I, Dad?" asked Abby eagerly.

"Only if Charlotte doesn't mind?" checked Jericho, and when the make up artist nodded her head, he agreed.

"Awesome!" exclaimed Abigail excitedly.

"I'll ask Maria, Candy, Kelly and Paulo if they wanna join us too, and then we can all head out to dinner," suggested Charlotte. "And Chris, I'll drop Abby back at you hotel room later tonight, if that's ok? You have some beers with the guys or something."

"What can't dad come to dinner with us?" asked Abby innocently.

"Yeah, why can't I have dinner with you?" questioned Jericho with a pout. "Am I not good enough to hang out with you and your friends?"

"Oh, for God's sake," exclaimed Charlotte with a roll of her eyes. "Chris, if you wanna have dinner with us, you're welcome to. The only reason I didn't ask was because I thought hanging out with Paulo and a bunch of chicks wouldn't be your thing. If you wanna come, I'll meet you in the hotel lobby, with the others, an hour after the show ends, ok?"

The wrestler nodded and grinned back at the make up artist.

"Right, ok. I may actually be able to get some work done now," said Charlotte as she opened the door. "I'll see y'all later. And good luck with your match, Chris."

"Thanks, Charlie, we'll catch you later," Jericho called back, before facetiously adding. "And try not to spend all evening daydreaming about how hot you think I am."

The blonde shook her head, as she heard Jericho and Abigail dissolve into hysterical laughter, wondering when was the last time she'd had this much fun at work.

However, Charlotte's amused grin fell from her face, as she reached her work area, and found Natasha Greenfield waiting for her.

The tall, raven-haired woman was a personal assistant, and had started working with the WWE around the same time as the make up artist had.

"Miss Robinson?" Natasha asked. "Valerie Ford has asked that you go to her office straight away, please."

Charlotte was a little surprised to be summoned to the Manager of Community Relations' office. However, the blonde just assumed it was a friendly inquiry to see how she was getting along in the company, as it wasn't unheard of for Valerie Ford to sporadically call random crew members into her office every few months, just to check they were okay.

Therefore, when the make up artist saw Beth Phoenix leaving the office, she knew it could only mean bad news.

Taking a deep breath, Charlotte knocked on the door, and waited to be told that she could enter.

"Come in," Valerie's voice clearly rang out, and cautiously, the blonde pushed open the door.

Valerie Ford was a middle-aged woman, in her late forties, with graying hair styled up into a Bouffant. She wore horn-rimmed glasses, and had a look of an angry bird about her. The Manager of Community Relations' small black eyes darted across the make up artist's form, and then she spoke.

"Good evening, Miss Robinson, please take a seat," she said cordially, gesturing to the leather backed chair across from her.

The blonde did as she was told, feeling like a naughty school girl being summoned into the headmaster's study. She'd only met with Valerie Ford once before, and on that occasion it was just to inquire how she was settling into the company after her probation period had come to an end and she was offered a permanent position. The cold look the Manager of Community Relations was now giving her told Charlotte this wasn't to be a friendly chat.

"I've called you to my office this evening, Miss Robinson, because certain accusations have been made against yourself," Valerie began.

Charlotte's heart began to race, this was bound to have something to do with her recent fight with Beth Phoenix, and the fact the diva was seen leaving this very office just moments before did nothing to eliminate the blonde's fears.

"Yesterday, I received an official complaint from Miss Bethany Phoenix, claiming that two days previously, you attacked her without reason or provocation," informed Valerie in a cold monotone.

"Mrs. Ford, if I may say, yes, I did attack Beth. However, that was after weeks of taunting and verbal abuse from her. I was under a certain amount of personal pressure at the time, and Beth used that against me, to goad and taunt me into an attack against her," explained Charlotte as calmly as possible.

"Be that as it may, Miss Robinson, you still acted in a way that was both unprofessional and unacceptable," insisted the Manager of Community Relations, in the same steely voice. "However, during your four years with the company, thus far, you have always carried yourself in an appropriate manner. Therefore, it is my decision not to fire or suspend you, but to issue you with an official warning. You will be placed on probation for a period of six months, and if during this time you have another incident such as this, with any employee within the WWE, it will result in your instant dismissal. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Ma'am, and I assure you nothing of the sort will happen again," promised the blonde, her body trembling with rage.

"I'm very glad to hear it, Miss Robinson, as I've always been impressed with your conduct, and must admit, Miss Phoenix's recent accusation was a little disappointing. You're now free to go back to your duties," said Valerie calmly. "I will request your presence again in six months time, to make sure you've adhered to your probation conditions. You're now dismissed."

"Thank you," said the make up artist meekly, genuinely thankful she hadn't lost her job, but still too consumed with anger towards Beth Phoenix to say anything more.

As calmly as she could, Charlotte let herself out of the office, and made her way back to her work station. The whole way there, her body was trembling with rage, and it took every ounce of will-power she possessed not to storm into the Women's locker room, and beat ten shades of shit out of Beth.

Upon seeing his friend's face, Paulo instantly knew something was wrong, and rushed forwards.

"What's the matter, Charlie?" he asked anxiously. "What did Valerie Ford want to see you about?"

"Beth Phoenix reported our fight," sighed Charlotte. "I've been given an official warning, and placed on probation for six months."

"That God damn, low life, back-stabbing bitch," raged the Latino, slipping into Spanish to yell a few more profanities. "Do you want me to go and knock her out for you?"

"Thanks for the offer, honey, but that'll just get us into more trouble," insisted the make up artist, with a small smile. "I'm just gong to have to deal with my punishment, and stay out of Beth's way from now on."

"But that's so unfair," protested Paulo, waving his arms around dramatically. "You've done nothing wrong; she was the one taunting you about Ryan, all you did was try to defend yourself."

"We all know that, Paulo. However, according to Valerie Ford, how I acted was 'both unprofessional and unacceptable'," said Charlotte, making bunny-ears in the air with her fingers. "In a situation like this, they've got to do what they think is appropriate and follow up the accusation. Beth is the Women's Champion for God's sake; they don't want to risk upsetting her and have her sue the company. Like I said, I'll just have to deal with the punishment. It's not that bad anyways, I keep out of trouble most of the time, and now I have a legitimate excuse to avoid bitch face."

"True," agreed the hairstylist with a chuckle. "So, how were things with Jericho when you took Abby back?"

With everything that had just taken place, the blonde had completely forgotten that she'd even seen the Canadian, and that she'd arranged dinner plans with him and Abby. Momentarily, the make up artist remembered seeing the wrestler in his ring gear, and all other thoughts left her head, as she pictured his toned body glistening in the lights of his lockerroom.

"Hello? Charlotte, are you ok?" questioned the Latino when the blonde didn't answer him. "God, you must be really pissed about Beth, it's like you're on another planet."

"What?" asked Charlotte, shaking her fantasy from her head. "Erm... yeah, sorry, I am still a little tense about it. Yeah, things were fine, Chris said he'll drop Abby off before his match, and I've asked them both to join us for dinner after the show. I'll ask Candice, Kelly and Maria too and you're coming, right?"

"Yeah, sounds great; just what you need to help take your mind off Beth," commented the hairstylist, as he and Charlotte perched on the counter top. "So, where are we heading?"

"I dunno, I haven't really thought about it," returned the blonde with a shrug. "Shall we just see where's open after the show?"

"Sure," agreed Paulo with the same gesture.

The two beauty employees then got back to work, and the remainder of the night passed without incident.

Despite it being the busiest show after Raw, thankfully only one wrestler needed a bruise covering up, another needing one added, and two divas needed their make up doing.

Much to Charlotte's relief, Beth Phoenix didn't make an appearance, and the make up artist happily made small talk with Mickie James, as Paulo styled Lilian Garcia's hair.

Finally, the night began to draw to a close, and there was only one match left: Jericho's.

Just as Mickie James was leaving, the wrestler appeared, Abigail bounding along behind him

Again, Charlotte's breath caught in her throat at the mere sight of the Canadian in his wrestling gear.

"Checking me out again, Charlie?" he asked facetiously, causing Paulo and Abby to burst into laughter.

"In your dreams, stud," teased Charlotte, overcoming her sudden hot flush.

"My god, will you two quit flirting!" exclaimed Abby, with a giggle. "I'm mean, it's so gross!"

"I know," agreed Paulo, snorting with laughter. "They need to get a room."

Again, the hairstylist and eleven-year-old burst into hysterics.

"Right, I'm afraid I'm going to have to withdraw my sexy presence, and get to my match," announced Jericho, before turning to his daughter, and kissing her on the forehead. "Have a good time, Abs, see you later."

"See you later, Dad," returned Abby, wrapping her arms her dad's neck. "And good luck in you match."

Then the Canadian stood up, and made his way along the corridor.

"I'll see you all in the hotel lobby later," he called over his shoulder.

"See you later, lover boy," shouted Paulo, to which Charlotte cringed and Abby had a renewed fit of giggles.

"Y'all aren't gonna let me live this down, are you?" sighed Charlotte after the wrestler had departed.

"Of course not," smirked the Latino.

"Well, I think it's cute," announced Abby. "I haven't see dad smile this much since he and mum got divorced."

"Nah, we're just messing about," insisted the blonde, wondering exactly how much of that statement was actually true.

"Whatever," Abigail and Paulo said in unison, and then started giggling again.

Charlotte good naturedly rolled her eyes, and them began cleaning the beauty station down, contemplating when her relationship with Jericho had turned from friendship to something more.

As the show came to an end, and everyone started leaving, Charlotte, Paulo and Abby packed away the last few items of equipment, and then rode back to the hotel in the hairstylist's rental car.

"Do you want me to call the girls, and let them know what we're doing tonight?" offered Paulo, as the three of them climbed into the elevator.

"Please," replied Charlotte. "Either of you had any thoughts on where we can go for dinner?"

"Dad and I had sushi last night, so I wouldn't mind trying that again," suggested Abigail.

"Oh, I know this great little sushi place downtown," informed Paulo. "It does the most beautiful salmon Maki-zushi rolls."

"Ok, sushi it is," agreed Charlotte, as she and Abby got out of the elevator and made their way to the make up artist's hotel room, adding over her shoulder, "We'll see you in about an hour, Paulo."


	12. Husbands and What Ifs

**Author's Notes: **I'd like to thank **Westfan, Fozzy-Floozy, purplefeather21, cassymae, Super T, Disco Inferno1, Inday **and** Rheya-Goddess** for your awesome review for chapter eleven. You guys are the greatest, and I love you all to bits!

Additionally thanks to Gin (Disco Inferno1, USER ID: 339498) and Karen (IMissPadfoot, USER ID: 1133633) for your help with this chapter. You girls are amazing, and I really don't tell you both enough how much I love you!

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: Husbands and What Ifs**

As Charlotte showered and changed for dinner, Abigail sat on the blonde's bed looking for something to wear, insisting jeans and a t-shirt was too boring for a night out.

"I have a cute tank-top you can borrow if you want?" offered Charlotte. "It's only a small, so it should fit you."

"Thanks, Charlie, you're awesome. It's no wonder dad talks about you so much," commented Abby innocently.

The blonde blushed, and then couldn't resist asking, "Does he? What does he say? All good stuff I hope?"

The eleven-year-old giggled, nodded her head and replied, "Of course. He just says how great you are, and how much he likes hanging out with you."

"That's good, because I like hanging out with him too," returned Charlotte with a grin.

"And checking him out in his wrestling gear," teased Abby.

"Yes, but don't tell your dad that. If you compliment a guy too much, he gets an inflated ego, and that's bad," joked Charlotte, hoping to hide the blush creeping up her cheeks. "I mean, look at Randy Orton."

Abigail turned bright red, and buried her face in her hands.

"Oh my god! Please don't tell me you have a crush on Orton?" laughed Charlotte. "Seriously, Abby, you need better taste in guys."

"He's cute," insisted Abby sheepishly.

"I guess, if you go for that baby faced-pretty boy look," shrugged Charlotte.

"Well, I think he's beautiful," confessed Abby. "Just don't say anything to Dad, ok? He'd go mental."

"I can well imagine," chuckled Charlotte. "Orton is not the type of guy you invite home for Sunday lunch. But rest assured, I won't say a word about this to anyone."

"Thanks, Charlie, you really are the greatest," grinned Abby and then turned her attention back to the tank-top the make up artist said she could borrow.

An hour later, the two females were in the elevator, heading down to meet Jericho, Paulo, Candice, Kelly and Maria, so that they could all go out for dinner.

As Charlotte and Abigail approached, the group of people who'd been chatting broke apart, and allowed the the eleven-year-old and make up artist to join them.

"Daddy," exclaimed Abby, instantly rushing to her father's side. "How was your match?"

"It was good, thanks, sweetheart," replied Jericho. "How was your evening with Charlie and Paulo?"

"It was great, thanks," beamed Abigail, before turning to show off the tank-top she was wearing. "And look what Charlie said I could borrow."

As the father and daughter continued chatting, the divas and Paulo approached Charlotte.

"So, had a good day?" Candice asked.

"It's been alright," shrugged Charlotte. "Did Paulo tell you I got an official warning?"

"What? No, he didn't," exclaimed Maria in shock. "Spill it, Charlie."

"I'll tell y'all over dinner," insisted Charlotte. "But first we need to eat, I'm starving."

"How can you possibly be hungry?" questioned Kelly. "You ate a burger, fries and almost an entire bag of popcorn at lunch time. I swear I don't know where you put it all."

"Well, she's worked up an appetite drooling over a certain blond wrestler, didn't you?" teased Paulo, with a smirk.

"Oh god, here we go again. Yes, I was checking Chris out, can we drop it now?" asked Charlotte, feeling a little annoyed her and Jericho's relationship was the only topic of conversation her friends cared to talk about.

"No, I want to hear more about this," insisted Maria with a smirk.

"Oh, for God's sake," exclaimed Charlotte, taking a step closer towards Jericho. "Chris, will you please tell these idiots that nothing is going on between us."

The wrestler looked hesitantly towards the blonde for a minute, laughed and then said, "Guys, Charlie is right, we're just goofing around. Chill out would you?"

"Sorry, Charlotte," apologized Paulo. "We were only teasing; we didn't mean to annoy you."

"It's ok," sighed Charlotte. "I guess I'm just cranky because I'm hungry and still wound up about what happened with Beth. I'm sorry too, didn't mean to freak out on y'all, I know you're only kidding."

"Come on, let's go grab some dinner before everywhere closes," suggested Candice changing the subject, and then the group of people made their way outside to find a cab.

As the friends dispersed, and began looking for an available taxi, Jericho made his way over to Charlotte.

"I think I should apologize to you too," he began casually slinging his arm over the blonde's shoulder. "I might have been a little full on with the flirting today, which is why the others got the wrong idea."

"No, it isn't your fault," insisted Charlotte. "You know I have fun hanging out with you, and harmless flirting is just that; harmless. It's just sometimes the guys take everything too seriously. They see you and me hanging out all the time, messing around, me offering to watch Abby and they jump to conclusions. I'm usually better at ignoring their teasing, but I guess with all that went on because of Beth I'm a little more on edge today."

"Let them think what they want," shrugged the Canadian. "We're ok, right?"

"Of course," replied Charlotte with a vigorous nod of her head. "Actually, between them lot assuming we've got something going on, and Beth being a bigger bitch than usual, you're the only one who hasn't irked me today."

"Why, what's happened with Beth? Don't tell me you two had another fight?" asked Jericho, his face full of concern for the blonde.

"Worse, she reported me for the fight we had a few days again," explained Charlotte, with a sad sigh. "I've been given an official warning, and been put on probation for six months."

"Oh my God, that's ridiculous. Valerie Ford does know Beth provoked you, right?" inquired Jericho anxiously.

"Well, I did try to tell her what had happened. However, apparently I still acted unprofessionally and therefore, they've got to punish me," informed Charlotte, her head dropping a little. "But it isn't that bad, at least I have an excuse to avoid Beth now."

Jericho nodded his head, and then he and the make up artist fell into talking about Abigail, until they all climbed into the cab Paulo had hailed while everyone had been chatting.

When they reached the sushi restaurant downtown, Charlotte, Abigail, Paulo, Jericho, Candice, Maria and Kelly all jumped out of the taxi, and headed inside the establishment.

Luckily, despite it being a Saturday night, the restaurant was quiet, and Charlotte could only assume it was either because not many people knew about the place, or it was so late that all the regular customers had already left.

The group took seats near the middle of the room, and waited for someone to take their orders. However, when a waiter came to ask them if they wanted anything to drink, he informed them it was a self-service buffet, and that they all should just grab a plate and help themselves.

In small groups of twos and threes, the friends made their way to the buffet tables, and began loading their plates with all the deliciously prepared sushi.

"Are you having a good time, Abby?" Charlotte asked the eleven-year-old as they made their way back to the table with their food.

"Yeah, it's great to be going out with you guys. Usually, when dad has me, we just go for pizza or something, and at home mom never really has the time to take me anywhere," she replied.

"Does your mom work a lot then?" inquired Charlotte sympathetically.

"Yeah, she owns a party planning company, so she's always got some business deal to go to or something. Most of the time, I just stop over at a friend's house, or mom calls a sitter," answered Abigail with a small frown.

"I bet you love coming on the road with your dad then?" Charlotte questioned. "It must be great to get to travel up and down the country."

"Yeah, it is, I have much more fun with dad. Sometimes, I wish I could live with him all the time, he seems to care about me a lot more than mom does," sighed Abby.

"I'm sure your mom loves you very much too. It must be hard for her looking after you on her own, with a business to run too," assured Charlotte.

"I suppose," shrugged Abby, idly playing with her Maki-zushi roll. "I just... I dunno… I wish she was more like you guys. You're such fun to be around, and you never nag me about home work or cleaning my room."

The blonde laughed and shook her head, remembering what it was like to be that age.

"That's because we've got no real responsibilities, honey. I'm sure once I have children of my own, I'll have to grow up, and start nagging them about chores and stuff," she joked.

"Nah, you'll be an awesome mum when you have kids of your own," insisted Abby with a huge grin.

"Thanks, sweetheart," returned Charlotte, with a warm smile. She really was touched by Abby's comment.

Once everyone was re-seated, and tucking into their food, Charlotte explained to those who didn't already know that she'd received an official warning at work, and been put on probation for six months, because of her fight with Beth Phoenix.

"My God, that woman is a total cow," exclaimed Candice when her friend had finished speaking, being careful to leave out any curse words because Abigail was listening.

"Yeah, but what can I do about it?" Charlotte shrugged.

"Speak to Valerie Ford, and make sure she understands that Beth provoked you into the fight," insisted Jericho.

"I already did," reminded Charlotte. "Besides, what good will it do? It's my word against Beth's, and as she is Women's Champion, they're going to believe her."

"No it isn't," protested Jericho. "I saw the whole fight, and I've witnessed how Beth taunts you at every opportunity she gets; heck we all have. Do you want me to tell Valerie Ford what happened?"

"Thanks, Chris, I appreciate the gesture. However, I don't want you getting into trouble on my account," insisted Charlotte. "I'll just avoid Beth, keep my head down for six months and this whole thing will blow over."

"Yeah, hopefully," commented Maria. "Let's just hope Beth finds someone else to pick on."

"There was this girl at my school who use to pick on everyone. When she started teasing me, the school guidance counsellor said bullies usually get bored if you just ignore them," offered Abigail, trying her best to be helpful.

"And good advice it is too, sweetheart," said Jericho, kissing his daughter's forehead, as the others uttered their agreeance.

When the friends had finished their meal, they continued chatting over a few drinks. The topic of conversation had now turned from how unfair Charlotte's official warning was, to the forthcoming New Year's Eve party.

As the group discussed what the night Orton and Cena had planned might entail, Abigail slowly became more and more tired, until she finally fell asleep with her head in Charlotte's lap.

"Come on, it's getting late, and this one is plum tuckered out," Charlotte said eventually, stifling a yawn of her own, before adding, "And she isn't the only one."

"Aw, bless her she looks like a little angel sleeping there," commented Maria. "It almost seems a shame to wake her."

"Trust me, she'll be a monster in the morning," joked Jericho slipping his daughter from Charlotte's lap and into his arms. "Especially as I've got to take her to the airport early, so that Debs can collect her."

"I'll settle up," insisted Charlotte grabbing her purse. "Y'all go and find a cab."

The others nodded in agreement, and made their way outside to find transportation back to the hotel, as Charlotte went over to the cash desk to pay the bill.

"Thank you very much for your custom," the owner of the sushi restaurant said after Charlotte had paid him. "Please visit again."

"I'm sure the next time we're in town, we will," Charlotte replied with a warm smile, and then began making her way to the front doors.

The make up artist had only gotten half way across the restaurant floor, however, when the owner called her back.

"Excuse me, Ma'am, your husband left this," he said, handing Charlotte Jericho's jacket that the wrestler had forgotten.

The blonde blushed deeply, and took the garment from the man's outstretched hands.

"Thanks," she replied. "But he isn't my husband, we just work together."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Ma'am. I just assumed, as you had a little girl with you, and she looks so like both of you," explained the restaurant owner, now blushing himself. "Whatever the case, you'd make a very sweet family."

* * *

The following day at work, Charlotte was more than a little shocked to be summoned to Valerie Ford's office for the second time in as many days.

Feeling extremely nervous, the make up artist made her way to the office of the Manager of Community Relations, wondering what the hell she could have done since yesterday.

When the blonde arrived, she was a little taken aback to see Beth Phoenix also waiting outside for Valerie Ford, and the presence of the diva only served to increase Charlotte's worries.

Thankfully, however, the Manager of Community Relations appeared in her office doorway a few moments later.

"Ladies, if you'd like to come inside please," she said without any form of emotion in her voice.

Charlotte nodded her head, followed Valerie into the room, and sat on the same leather backed chair she had the day before. However, Beth lingered in the door-way for a few moments longer, eventually striding across the room, but not taking a seat.

"Excuse me, but can I ask what all this is about, please?" she began icily. "I thought my complaint was successfully filed, and that Charlotte had been adequately punished. What's going on?"

"Well, Miss Phoenix, if you'd like to sit down for a moment, I'll happily explain," replied Valerie, in the same even voice she'd used so far.

"I'll be fine standing," insisted Beth, her manner growing colder by the second. "Can we just get on with it please?"

"Very well," returned the Manager of Community Relations. "This morning, I received an official complaint regarding yourself, Miss Phoenix - from someone who witnessed the incident - claiming that you verbally provoked Miss Robinson into the fight. Additionally, the witness also claimed that you have been taunting Miss Robinson for months, without reason. Therefore, in light of the new information, it is my decision to lift your probation from six months to three, Miss Robinson. Miss Phoenix, you will also be placed on probation for a period of three months. Finally, both of your parole periods are only effective under the following conditions; during work hours, you are only permitted to communicate with each other regarding work related matter. Other than that, you're to have no contact with each other. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Ma'am," replied Charlotte instantly, knowing full well who this 'witness' was, and making a mental note to thank him as soon as they saw each other. "As I said yesterday, I fully accept any decision you make and I'm happy to comply with it."

"I'm pleased to hear that, Miss Robinson," replied Valerie with a small smile in the make up artist's direction. "Miss Phoenix, do I have your agreeance too?"

"No, this is total bullshit," spat Beth. "It's obvious Charlotte has gotten one of her friends to make this false claim, and it is completely unfair that I'm been put on probation and her punishment is being reduced. She attacked me for God's sake!"

"Firstly, Miss Phoenix, can I ask you not to use that tone and type of language with me. It is doing absolutely nothing to further your case," said the Manager of Community Relations coldly, glaring at the diva, "Additionally, Miss Robinson's relationship – if she even has one – with the witness is a non issue. They still came forwards, of their own accord, to report your actions and conduct towards Miss Robinson. I will not change my decision on the matter, so do not force my hand. Do I have your acceptance of the conditions, Miss Phoenix?"

"Whatever," Beth bit back. "I'll keep away from that lying bitch, as long as she keeps away from me too, and that includes getting her little lap dog to do her dirty work for her."

"Miss Phoenix, really this sort of behaviour is totally unacceptable," Valerie all but shouted. "Your actions here this afternoon, and the way you speak about Miss Robinson, has only served to make me think the witness' claim is completely true. I cannot permit behaviour like this to continue within the WWE, and I have no choice but to take this matter to a higher authority. You'll both be hearing from me regarding the incident in due course. You're now dismissed."

The diva stalked from the room, her eyes glowing with an angry fire, and her hair billowing behind her. Once the 'Glamazon' had departed, Charlotte rose from her chair.

"Thank you for your time, Miss Robinson," Valerie said kindly as the blonde made her way out of the office.

The make up artist nodded her head to the Manager of Community Relations, and then made her way down the corridor and back to her work station. When she arrived there, she was delighted to see Jericho chatting to Paulo.

"Chris," she exclaimed, flinging her arms around the wrestler and kissing him on the cheek. "You went to see Valerie Ford, didn't you? And made a complaint against Beth."

"I might have," Jericho replied, with a sly grin, as he returned the embrace. "So, what happened? Are you all in the clear?"

"Well, no, not entirely. My probation has been reduced to three months, and Beth and I are only permitted to speak to each other concerning work matters," informed Charlotte with a huge smile. "However, when Valerie handed out the new punishments – Beth's been put on probation for three months as well – Beth went insane. She called me a lying bitch, and said I was getting you to do my dirty work for me. Valerie was completely disgusted. She said Beth's behaviour was unacceptable, and that she has no choice but to report the incident to a higher power. We'll both be hearing about it in a few weeks I expect."

"Whoa," interjected Paulo. "That's some result, Charlie. Hopefully, Beth will get what's coming to her now."

"And it'll be no more than she deserves," added Jericho. "I cannot believe she of all people called you a lying bitch, and claimed I was doing your dirty work for you. That woman really is insane."

"There's obviously something not quite right in her head," Charlotte laughed, kissing the Canadian on the cheek again, before adding, "Anyways, thank you so much for making an official complaint against Beth."

"It was nothing," he insisted sheepishly with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Nothing?" protested Paulo, with a dramatic wave of his arms. "Knight in Shining Armour I'd say."

The comment caused Jericho to momentarily look away from the blonde.

"Well, whatever, I'm eternally grateful," said Charlotte, hopping onto the vanity table. "So, did you get Abby safely back to her mom this morning?"

"Yeah, I did thanks," replied Jericho with a smile. "She was a little disappointed about being back at school, but excited to be seeing her friends, so that she could brag to them about hanging out with you and the divas last night."

"Oh, bless her heart," returned Charlotte with a grin. "So, now that she's back at home, have you got any plans for the evening?"

"I don't think so," shrugged Jericho, coming to sit besides the make up artist. "I think I might see if any of the guys are hitting a club. How about you? It's tonight that Maria is introducing you to Josh, right?"

"Yeah, it is. I'm really looking forwards to it, it should be fun," replied Charlotte with a grin. "Hey, I know, why don't you come with us? I mean, if you wouldn't prefer spending the evening watching Orton try it on with every woman in the club, and that way you can give us a male's opinion on Josh."

"Are you sure Maria won't mind?" check Jericho.

"Are you kidding? She'll be glad to have another person to flaunt her relationship at," commented Paulo with a smirk.

"Besides, I'll need someone sane to talk to when this lot gets drunk," teased Charlotte. "Come on, it'll be fun."

"Alright then, you're on," agreed Jericho with a grin. "But only because I don't fancy hanging out with Orton and Cena. We wouldn't want people getting the wrong idea and thinking there's something going on between you and me."

"And who on Earth would have such a ridiculous idea like that?" asked Charlotte facetiously. "Certainly not any of my friends."

"I object to that statement," joked Paulo. "We only jump to conclusions once a week, so you can't really be pissed off with us."

"Can't I?" teased Charlotte, with a playful smile.

"Right, I best get to my match," announced Jericho, jumping from the vanity table and ruffling Charlotte's hair as he did so. "I'll see you guys back at the hotel later."

"Catch you later Chris," called Charlotte, hopping down off the counter herself.

"Yeah, see you in a bit, mate," added Paulo, locating the broom so he and Charlotte could start cleaning up.

When the wrestler was out of ear shot, he turned to his friend and said, "You know, people _will_ start talking. This will be the second night in a row you've had dinner together, and he spoke to Valerie Ford for you, and because of it your probation has been reduced."

"Let them talk," shrugged Charlotte. "It's not like we're doing anything wrong."

"Yes, but what exactly are you doing, Charlie? You keep insisting you and Chris are just friends, yet you're watching Abigail whenever he asks, and growing closer to him every day," pressed Paulo. "I asked you once before if you were into him, and you never answered me properly then either."

"Honestly?" questioned Charlotte. "I think there's something, I'm just not sure what, and I don't even know if I'm ready for it. After what happened with Ryan, I'm scared of jumping into anything too fast, and there's Abby to consider too."

"But it's obvious he's crazy about you," insisted Paulo with a reassuring smile. "So, if that's what you're worried about, you shouldn't be."

"Well, it's not entirely that. I mean, I still don't know how he feels, for all I know Chris is just messing about and only sees us as friends. However, it's more than that. This is it for me, I'm not dating another guy unless I know we'll have a future together, and I don't know Chris well enough to assume things like that. Imagine if we did hook up, and then it didn't work out, coming to work would be unbearable. And like I said, there's Abby to think about. I adore her and wouldn't want to ruin the relationship I have with her by seeing her dad. I don't know, I'm just not ready to risk the friendships I have with Chris and Abby for something that might not be anything more than playful banter," explained Charlotte, as she finally finished sweeping the floor and flopped back onto the stool.

"I see your point," agreed Paulo, coming to join her and sitting on the vanity table. "That's kind of how I feel about Jeff; I don't want to ruin our friendship on a 'what if.' I guess all either of us can do is keep going the way we are, and hope something progresses."

"Yeah, I guess so," sighed the blonde slightly sadly.


	13. A night to remember

**Author's Notes: **I'd just like to thank **cassymae, Westfan, Fozzy-Floozy, XxMAKExXitorbreakitXx, chnoelle, Inday, Super T, jada951, purplefeather21, Alkira Sonoma, AshMattXoXo, Rheya-Goddess **and ** pr0udpnaii x33** for your awesome reviews for chapter twelve. The fact that y'all are still reading this story, and leaving such wonderful comments mean the world to me. Thank you!

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: A** **night to remember**

After showering and changing, Charlotte headed down to the hotel lobby to meet her friends for dinner. They were all going out for a meal, so that Maria could officially introduce them to her new boyfriend, Josh.

In addition to Kelly, Candice and Paulo going out for dinner with them, the blonde had also invited Jericho along too, despite the fact that it would cause even more gossip among her friends about their budding relationship.

When the make up artist stepped out of the elevator, the Canadian was the only person waiting in the lobby for her, and Charlotte momentarily wondered what was holding the others up.

However, all thoughts of her friends left the blonde's head, as she looked at the wrestler and their eyes met. Jericho gave her a huge grin and crossed the lobby to meet her.

"Hey, where is everyone else?" he asked.

"I don't know, I thought they'd be here by now," shrugged Charlotte. "But knowing Maria, she's probably still making sure she looks perfect."

The wrestler laughed, and leaned back against the reception desk, "Well, at least you achieve that effortlessly," he commented factiously.

"You're kidding, right?" questioned Charlotte with a laugh. "Do you know how long it takes me to do my hair and make up? I was lucky this evening because Ashley wasn't around to hold me up."

"Well, however long it took you, it was worth it; you look great," complimented Jericho, appraising Charlotte's outfit of black Capri pants, red high-heeled shoes, and a sequined top in the same shade of cherry as her stilettos.

The make up artist's cheeks turned the same colour as her top, and she shook her head. "Quit that, you're making me blush," she giggled, before turning her Kholed eyes to admire the wrestler's own outfit – he was wearing a short-sleeved dark blue shirt, with the top three buttons undone, a simple silver chair around his neck and tight fitting black jeans. "Besides you don't look half bad yourself."

"Thanks," replied Jericho with a grin, before adding facetiously, "I thought I'd make the effort for Josh."

Charlotte shook her head and laughed again. "Well, I'm sure he'll appreciate it," she teased.

As if the mention of her boyfriend had called her down, Maria appeared from the elevator, followed by Candice, Kelly and Paulo. All four of them were all dressed up for dinner too; Maria wearing a knee-length halter dress in a similar shade to Charlotte's own outfit. Kelly was wearing a classic black dress, the material of which floated around her knees. Candice was dressed in an elegant chocolate colored trouser suit, and Paulo was wearing grey dress pants and a fuchsia pink dress shirt, which suited his Latino complexion surprisingly well.

"Hey," Maria greeted the couple, who were now both leaning against the reception desk, and had subconsciously started holding hands. "You both look great."

"Thanks," returned Charlotte with a huge smile. "So do you. I love that dress, where is it from?"

As the two friends began chatting about clothes, Jericho slipped away to say hello to the others, and soon enough the whole group was chatting.

"So, when is Josh due to arrive?" questioned Kelly, expectantly looking at the hotel's main doors.

"Any minute now," replied Maria anxiously checking her watch.

As if on queue the man in question appeared.

Charlotte didn't really recall Josh from their first meeting; she'd been drunk, and could hardly see him as his head was practically joined to Maria's all night.

However, now the blonde got a good look at her friend's new boyfriend, and was suitably impressed.

Josh was tall, dark, lean and would have fitted in perfectly on the Raw roster. He had dreamy chocolate coloured eyes and brown hair that was cropped close to his head. Like everyone else, he was dressed up for dinner, in a pale blue shirt, dress pants and a dark blazer. The make up artist could certainly see why Maria was attracted to him; Josh was very good looking indeed.

As he approached the group, Maria threw herself into her boyfriend's arms, and they embraced tightly, before kissing passionately. Finally, the couple broke apart, and the diva made official introductions between Josh and her friends.

Once everyone had had the chance to get acquainted, the group made their way outside to find a cab, which thankfully didn't take vary long.

Soon enough, the friends arrived at the restaurant, and were shown to their table. After ordering some drinks, the gathering of people began browsing the menu and chatting happily.

"So, what do you think of him?" Candice asked Charlotte.

"He seems very nice," replied Charlotte honestly. "And they certainly make a cute couple."

"Then same could be said about you and someone sitting not too far from you," returned the diva, nodding her head towards Jericho, who was sitting to the make up artist's left, but was so busy chatting to Josh that he didn't hear the comment.

Charlotte rolled her eyes, and then laughed, "I suppose you could."

"Oh, come on, Charlie. You're not fooling anyone with this 'we're just friends' crap," added Kelly, joining the conversation.

"And who said I wanted to?" countered Charlotte facetiously. "Seriously though, this isn't a conversation we need to be having now. I'll talk to y'all about it later."

Candice and Kelly's eyes lit up at the promise, and without another word on the matter, the make up artist returned to her menu.

The evening passed happily, with the friends enjoying the good food and drink the restaurant had to offer, and the company of each other.

Josh was a very open person, and happily answered all of the questions Maria's friends felt necessary to fire at him. It turned out he was a veterinary surgeon, in his late twenties, who hailed from Des Moines, Iowa. He liked animals – obviously – sports, and outdoor activities, like hiking and mountain biking. All in all, Charlotte, Candice and Kelly were very impressed with him, and certain his was a good match for their friend.

As the evening relaxed, and the friends finished eating, they all fell into small groups to chat over the remaining bottles of wine and cups of coffee.

"Are you having a good time?" Charlotte asked Jericho, lazily running her finger along the back of the wrestler's hand.

"Yeah, I am," replied Jericho with a beaming smile. "It makes a nice change from spending the whole night in a club, and Josh is a really great guy."

"Yeah, he is. I'm so glad you came out with us, and that you're getting along so well with everyone," returned Charlotte with a smile. "It means a lot to me that you're hanging out with my friends."

"Good, because it means a lot to me too," returned Jericho, lightly taking hold of Charlotte's hand. "I mean, if things remain how they are, we could all hang out together a lot more."

From the other end of the table, Paulo leaned over to Kelly and whispered, "Looks like Cupid has hit again."

"I noticed," grinned Kelly, casting a glance at the couple, who were still chatting as Charlotte rested her head on the wrestler's shoulder.

"And it's about time too," added Candice with a smirk. "I was afraid we were going to have to lock them in a room alone together."

Finally, the evening began to wind down, and the gathering of friends left the restaurant. Josh insisted on footing to bill for their meal, despite the protests from everyone else. However, the veterinary surgeon claimed it was his treat to Maria, and wouldn't budge on the matter, and so the others conceded.

When they arrived at the hotel, Charlotte, Candice, Maria, Kelly, Jericho, Josh and Paulo, headed to the bar for a few more drinks, before going to their respective rooms for the night.

The hotel bar was unusually quiet for a Monday night, and the group of friends could only assume it was because all the other WWE employees were still at a night club somewhere.

Settling down with a glass of rum and coke, the blonde happily joined in with the conversation about her friends' plans for their days off from work.

"Y'all will have to come and stop with me for a few days," she suggested to the divas. "It feels like forever since the four of us went out partying together, and I know Ellie is dying to see y'all."

Maria looked expectantly towards Josh and the brown-haired male said, "Its ok, babe, I can show you around the surgery some other time. You should go out and have some fun with your friends. Besides, I promised my Mama we'd go to visit Grandma; she's been sick recently and could do with the company."

"Aww, you're just too sweet," teased Candice. "If you were any cuter, I'd have to wrap you up in a bow, and keep you for Christmas."

The veterinary surgeon blushed at the compliment, as his girlfriend affectionately kissed him on the lips.

"Thanks, babe, and I hope your Grandma feels better soon. Send her my best wishes, please?" she returned.

When Josh nodded, the diva turned back to her friends and asked, "Ok, so what's the plan?"

"I don't know, as I'm working tomorrow night," reminded Kelly with a sigh.

"Well, we could stop here for an extra day, and then fly to Jackson on Wednesday morning?" offered Candice helpfully.

"Yeah, that's a great idea," agreed Charlotte. "Maybe we could hit the mall tomorrow and do a bit of shopping before Smackdown and ECW are taped?"

"Do you girls never quit maxing out your credit cards?" joked Jericho.

"Hey, I resent that comment," said Charlotte facetiously. "It's all in the name of work, you know? I need some new brushes; my other ones are getting old."

"Yeah right. Some new brushes, half a dozen pairs of jeans and some new shoes, I bet," teased Paulo.

The make up artist blushed, nodded her head sheepishly and confessed, "Well, Macy's has a sale going on, and what girl could resist that, right?"

Everyone gathered around the table laughed knowingly at the comment.

"I suppose we could get an early start on our Christmas shopping?" offered Maria with a grin.

"Oh my god, Christmas," exclaimed Kelly. "You know, I haven't even given it a thought yet."

"Me either," agreed Candice. "Can we just get Thanksgiving over with first, please?"

"Oh shoot, Thanksgiving. That reminds me, Paulo, I'll ask Mama when I'm back at home, if you can stop for the holiday," added Charlotte.

With the topic of conversation now turned to Thanksgiving and Christmas, the group of friends began discussing their plans for the holidays.

"You know, I still haven't decided what I'm doing yet," commented Jericho. "We had Thanksgiving in Canada last month, so I won't be going home for the American celebration next week. As for when I'm having Abby over Christmas, Debs and I still didn't get anything arranged this morning. I asked her about it, but apparently she's too focused on her up coming presentation."

"Is Abby not off from school for Thanksgiving next week?" inquired Josh.

"Yeah, she is, but as we've already celebrated Thanksgiving, I don't think we'll be doing anything special," replied Jericho. "I just hope I'm not so busy that I can't have her for a few days next week. I know Debbie has got a business meeting, and I don't think Abby fancies the thought of stopping with her aunt."

"Well, if you bring her to work with you again, you know I'll be more than happy to watch her for you," offered Charlotte.

The three divas exchanged knowing looks, and Paulo smirked a little.

"Thanks," returned Jericho. "I'll see if I've got her for a few days and let you know."

Finally, the bar began to close up, and the gathering of friends made their way to their respective rooms, stopping in the lobby to say good night to each other.

"It was really great meeting all of you," said Josh genuinely, as Maria wrapped her arms around him. "Thanks for a wonderful night out, and we should make sure we do it frequently."

"It's was lovely meeting you too, Josh," returned Charlotte, moving forwards to embrace the veterinary surgeon. "Thank you for paying for dinner, and yes, we really should do this more often."

As the other two divas and Paulo said their 'good-byes' to the brown-haired man, the blonde turned her attention to Jericho.

"I had a great time tonight," she said, as the wrestler wrapped his arms around her.

"Me too," he replied, resting his chin on the top of her head. "You know, I'm going to miss having dinner with you while we're both off from work."

"Me too," agreed Charlotte.

"Wanna hang out when we're back at work?" Jericho asked, lightly kissing her forehead.

The blonde blushed, giggled and riffled the wrestler's hair.

"Of course," she replied, and then stifling a yawn announced, "Right, I'm off to bed."

"Sleep well," the others called back to Charlotte as she headed towards the elevator, and then with one last look over her shoulder, she blew a kiss to the wrestler.

* * *

The following day, after having breakfast, and then seeing Paulo and Josh off to the airport, Charlotte, Candice, Maria and Kelly headed to the mall for the morning.

"What do you think I should get Josh for Christmas?" asked Maria, as the four friends consulted the shopping centre's map to decide on which store they should visit first.

"Well, y'all have only been dating about a month, so you don't wanna get him anything too fancy," commented Charlotte.

"Yeah, but things are pretty serious between the two of us, he's even invited me to visit his parents over the holidays," insisted Maria.

"Well then, how about some cologne?" suggested Candice. "It's something special, but you can't read too much into it."

"Oh, I've just had an awesome idea. There's this new store that's opened, where you can pick a variety of different scents to make your own personalized cologne or perfume. You could have something unique made up for Josh from there?" offered Kelly.

"Wow, that's an amazing idea," said Maria happily. "Can we visit there first, please?"

The other three women nodded their heads, and so the friends made their way to the fragrance store.

Inside the shop, Charlotte, Candice, Kelly and Maria tested out different scents, trying to decide which would be the best for the diva's boyfriend. The petite brunette finally picked a combination of citrusy bergamot, and spicy cinnamon and nutmeg, giving the cologne a Christmassy, yet sensual fragrance.

When Maria went to purchase the cologne, she requested that it be delivered to the store in Chicago, Illinois, so that she could collect it the next time she was at home.

After leaving the fragrance shop, the group of friends headed to Banana Republic, where Candice and Charlotte both picked up garments as Christmas presents for their younger siblings. The diva had a fourteen-year-old sister, who was just discovering fashion, and so Candice had brought her outfit organizing programme for the computer, which allowed the user to test and pick out the perfect combinations of clothing to wear together. Charlotte brought a green, mini dress for Ellie, hoping her sister would be able to attend the WWE's New Year's Eve party, and wear the selected garment.

The next port of call for the divas and the make up artist was a stationery store, so that they could all purchase gift wrap and cards for the holiday season.

Finally, Charlotte, Candice, Maria and Kelly headed to their favourite shop in the mall, the cosmetics store, Sephora – where all four of them spent more money than they really should have. True to her word, the blonde brought a new set of make up brushes, and just like Paulo had predicted, she also purchased a few things she didn't really need, but wanted, including the new fragrance by British designer Lulu Guinness, three lip-glosses by Hard Candy and an eye-shadow pallet by MAC.

Their arms now heavy with shopping bags, their feet aching and their stomachs growling in hunger, the three divas and make up artist made their way to the mall's food quarter to buy some lunch.

Sitting down with her tuna and mayonnaise filled baked potato, Charlotte smiled happily to herself.

"I love shopping," she sighed dreamily.

Her three friends giggled and nodded their heads in agreeance.

"Yeah, especially when there's a sale on MAC products," commented Kelly, taking another look at the new nail polishes she'd brought in the cosmetics store.

"I'm so excited about the approaching holidays," said Maria. "I'll finally get to meet Josh's parents, and then there's New Year's Eve to look forwards too."

"I know, I cannot wait," agreed Candice with a grin. "It's going to be so much fun."

"Have y'all got plans for Thanksgiving yet?" inquired Charlotte.

The three divas shrugged.

"I don't fancy being at home much with Aaron around," admitted Kelly, referring to her step-father.

"And I just know our house will be manic with loads of relatives visiting," commented Candice.

"Oh, come on guys," encouraged Charlotte with a frown. "It's supposed to be fun. I know, how about we all do something together? Paulo is stopping with me anyway, so we could really do something special for the holidays."

"Won't your parents mind though?" insisted Maria.

"I don't see why they would, but I'll check with them when we all go back home, and then we can start arranging everything," suggested Charlotte.

"Ok, it sounds like fun," conceded Candice.

"Yeah, and it would be better than having to listen to Aunt Bertha complaining that I'm 'just too thin'," sighed Maria.

"Or feeling like an outsider in your own home, because your step-dad is such a jerk," added Kelly sadly. "I know I should be more understanding, mum really does love him, but we just don't get along."

"Have you tried talking to your mum about it?" inquired Charlotte, all three of the friends now feeling full of concern for the ECW diva.

"Yeah, plenty of times, but she was having none of it. As far as my mum is concerned, the sun shines out of Aaron's ass, and I'm just being spoilt and childish," sighed Kelly.

"Oh, that's terrible," said Maria, sympathetically rubbing her friend's arm. "Is there anything we could do to help?"

"No, I don't think so. I've tried everything; talking to her, asking friends and family members to speak to her about it and I even attempted to get on with Aaron – but nothing works. It's just like she's forgotten that I even exist."

"My god, that's such a shame," said Candice. "It must be so hard to adjust to one of your parents re-marrying. I don't know how you stay so strong, babe."

"It shouldn't be this difficult though, she's my mum for God's sake," insisted Kelly. "I mean, dad has re-married too, and that isn't an issue. Actually, my step-mum, Marianne, and I get along brilliantly."

"Maybe that's because you're closer to your dad than you are to your mum?" suggested Maria. "So, you have an easier time accepting his new relationship."

"Yeah, I guess you're right on that account," shrugged Kelly. "I just wish things weren't so complicated, and we could all just get along."

With that sad dip in conversation, the four friends fell silent, as they finished off their lunch. Then, not feeling up to doing any more shopping, Charlotte, Candice, Kelly and Maria returned to the hotel, to rest and freshen up before that evening's ECW taping.

* * *

That evening, as only Kelly was working, the three remaining females found themselves with little to do backstage. Charlotte checked in on Smackdown and ECW's make up artist to see how she was doing.

Michelle Lambly, the beauty consultant for the other two WWE brands, had only been with the company for two years, having been offered the position, when Charlotte had been promoted to senior make-up artist and permanently attached to Raw.

Michelle was good at her job, but lacked the experience Charlotte had in the industry, meaning that – although she had two shows to cover – she was given less work to do.

The two make up artists rarely saw each other due to the brand split – and the blonde also had been given pay per views to work on - but whenever they did meet up, they always swapped make up tips.

When the ECW taping was finally over, Candice, Charlotte, Maria and Kelly returned to the hotel for an early night. As they were all flying to Mississippi the next morning and had an eventful few days planned at home with Charlotte, the four friends wanted to be well rested.

* * *

When Charlotte, Candice, Kelly and Maria arrived in Mississippi the next day, Ellie was waiting at the airport to give them a ride back to the Robinsons' home, which was just ten miles out of Jackson.

The five females were thrilled at finally being reunited with each other, as due to work and school commitments, it had been a very long time since all of them had hung out together.

They arrived at Charlotte's home, and headed straight for the guest-house, to drop off their cases and sort out the camp beds and sleeping bags for them all to use for the few days they were stopping. Then, Charlotte, Ellie and the three divas headed over to the main house.

Loretta Mae was in the kitchen, preparing lunch when the five females arrived.

"Hello, everyone," she greeted warmly as they entered the kitchen. "Do y'all want roast chicken and salad sandwiches?"

"Please," chorused the women in unison.

"OK, it'll be ready in a few minutes, help yourselves to iced-tea from the refrigerator," replied Loretta.

As Charles Edward took his seat at the table, his wife served up a huge platter of sandwiches, and everyone sat down to eat.

"Are y'all planning a vacation or something?" inquired Charlotte, picking up the holiday brochure her mother had left on the counter top.

Both Loretta and Charles blushed, and then Charlotte's mother nodded.

"Actually, we wanted to talk to you and Ellie about that," she began, looking at each of her daughters in turn. "Your father and I have decided we want a quieter, more relaxed, Thanksgiving this year. CJ and Jeanie are having dinner at Jeanie's parents, and as I didn't know when y'all would be working, we decided to go on vacation for the holiday. We hope you don't mind."

"No, of course not," insisted Ellie. "Y'all deserve a break after all."

"Yeah, and I'm sure we can come up with something on our own," agreed Charlotte. "Actually, it might work out for the best, as I was going to ask if Maria, Kelly, Candice and Paulo would be able to stop for dinner. This way, I can have my friends stop, but you won't be pressured into cooking for all of us."

"You're sure y'all wont mind being left on your own?" checked Charles hesitantly.

"Of course not, Daddy," replied Charlotte reassuringly.

"Besides, we won't be on our own now, will we?" insisted Ellie. "Because we can have our friends around."

"Ok, well if you girls are sure it's ok, I'll go ahead and confirm our hotel reservations," announced Loretta happily, before adding. "And if you want, before we leave, I can cook up some food for y'all and put it in the refrigerator."

"Mrs. Robinson," Candice began, but Charlotte's mother cut her off with a frown, which said 'please, call me by my given name'. "Sorry, Loretta, we can't expect you to cook for us, as well as offering up your home. With the six of us having dinner together, if we all did a dish or two each, that would be plenty. You and your husband deserve a break and to relax."

"That's very sweet of you, Candy, y'all are such lovely girls," beamed Loretta.

"Yeah, we'll come up with something," insisted Maria. "Paulo is an amazing cook, so I'm sure he'll have a few dishes."

"I wouldn't count on Charlie offering anything useful though, my sister can burn boiling water," sniggered Ellie, to which the older blonde kicked her shins under the table.

"Now, now, girls, simmer down," warned Charles good naturedly.

After lunch, Charlotte called Paulo to let him know about the new Thanksgiving arrangements. The hairstylist offered to do all cooking that was required. However, the blonde protested, and it was finally agreed he would cook the turkey, Ellie would do all the trimmings, Candice would supply something for dessert, Kelly would prepare the appetizers, and the make up artist would be in charge of supplying wine, and decorating the table for the meal.

The few days off work that Charlotte, Candice, Kelly and Maria had were spent shopping, relaxing, and planning their Thanksgiving dinner, as well as contemplating what other Christmas gifts they needed to buy, and what they'd wear to the New Year's Eve party.

Orton and Cena had now booked a venue for the event, hiring rooms in a night club exclusively for those who had been invited. Ellie had of course been added to the guest list, and now the five friends were all becoming very excited about the forthcoming party – it was shaping up to be a night to remember.

"Oh, I cannot wait," commented Ellie. "I just know New Year's will be the perfect opportunity for me to hook up with Cena."

"Seems like everyone is hoping Cupid will be active for New Year," mused Charlotte. "You know, I'm trying to encourage Paulo to make his move on Jeff then as well."

"Seems like me and Candy will be the only ones not coupled off," sighed Kelly. "What with Maria dating Josh, Ellie planning to pounce on John, and Paulo hopefully getting together with Jeff."

"What are y'all on about?" questioned Charlotte in confusion. "Y'all are forgetting I'm not seeing anyone either."

"Right, because when the clock strikes mid-night, you won't be locking lips with a certain blond wrestler, will you?" teased Candice.

"Oh, I couldn't possibly dream of being that lucky," returned Charlotte facetiously.

Sadly, soon enough the new week dawned and it was time for Charlotte and the three divas to return to the road and their work.

They left Mississippi early on Monday morning to fly to the state where Raw was being held, and then after checking into the hotel, headed out for lunch together, before they had to be getting ready for that evening's show.

As Charlotte, Maria, Kelly and Candice all sat down to a Chinese buffet, the three divas all looked pointedly at the blonde.

"What?" she questioned, fully anticipating what was about to come next.

"Well, you never did spill about what's going on between you and Chris, like you promised," announced Maria, an expectant and slightly maniacal look in her eyes.

The make up artist rolled eyes and shrugged, "What do you want me to say? I've told you, I like him but that's where it ends."

"Oh, come on, Charlie, it's more than that," insisted Kelly, her eyes shining with anticipation.

"Maybe – from my side – it is, but nothing more is going to happen until I get my head sorted and figure out how I'm feeling," reasoned Charlotte. "Like I said to Paulo the other day, this is it for me. I'm not dating another guy only for it to end in disaster, and with Chris the stakes are even higher. If something was to happen, and it didn't work out, not only would I lose my friendship with him, but with Abby too, and that's not a risk I'm willing to take."

"But what's life without a little risk?" insisted Candice. "It was a risk when Maria gave Josh a go; he could have turned out to be some weird stalker, but look how happy they are together now."

"Yeah, and it was also a risk when I asked Dylan to move in with me, and look how that turned out," replied Charlotte, referring to how things had ended with her last serious boyfriend. "I'm not prepared to go down the road of heart break again."

"That could be fate though," offered Kelly. "I mean, if you'd have stayed with Dylan, you might never have been promoted to Raw and you certainly wouldn't have gotten so close to Chris."

"Yeah, you could be soul mates, and the reason things didn't work out with Dylan is because you and Chris belong together," added Maria.

At this statement, Charlotte all but spit her mouthful of coffee across the table.

"Oh, come off it, y'all, that is just about the most ridiculous thing I ever heard," she exclaimed. "Ok, so I read horoscopes and stuff, but I do not believe our lives are mapped out for us, or that two people are destined to be together. Someone is your soul mate because you have a connection, and then work hard at a relationship. And what happened between Dylan and I wasn't fate; it was me misjudging the situation and not realizing he wasn't ready for the same type of commitment I was after. It's just crappy luck, not some mystical force controlling my life."

The three divas were about to protest, and add more, but Charlotte silenced them with a cold glare.

"I'm not discussing this any further," she said, and then returned to her lunch.


	14. Me thinks the lady doth protest too much

**Author's Notes: **I'd like to thank **Alkira Sonoma, Fozzy-Floozy, Super T, Inday, AshMattXoXo, cassymae, purplefeather21, Rheya-Goddess, WWESupernatural102292 and Disco Inferno1 ** for your awesome review for chapter thirteen. You guys are the greatest!

Additionally thanks to Gin (Disco Inferno1, USER ID: 339498) and Karen (IMissPadfoot, USER ID: 1133633) for your help with this chapter. You girls are amazing, and I really don't tell you both enough how much I love you!

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen: Me thinks the lady doth protest too much**

Candice sat in the make up artist's chair, as Charlotte got the brunette diva ready for her match against Beth Phoenix, that was due to start in ten minutes.

"Oh, do try and break her nose or something," joked Charlotte referring to Candice's opponent for that night, as she put the finishing touches to her friend's make up.

"After what she did to you a few weeks ago, we owe her some revenge," commented Candice, rising from the stool and making sure she was all set for the contest.

"Well, good luck, Candy," wished Charlotte, embracing her friend. "I'll meet you back at the hotel when the show is over."

Candice returned the hug, and then headed off for her match against Beth Phoenix.

Seeing as the 'Go Daddy' girl and 'Glamazon' were the last two divas appearing on RAW that evening, Charlotte began to pack her make up case away.

As she did, Abigail came bounding towards her, a huge smile on the girl's face.

"Charlie!" she exclaimed, jumping up onto the stool in front of the vanity table.

"Hello, trouble. Traveling with your dad again?" inquired Charlotte, folding her brushes in the protective wrappings.

As if answering the blonde's question, Jericho appeared behind his daughter.

"Hey, Chris," said Charlotte, searching around for her setting powder.

"Lost something," Jericho inquired, handing her the small compact that had rolled off the vanity table, and under the stool, when Abigail had bounded over.

"Thanks," Charlotte replied with a smile, tucking the finishing powder into her case. "So, you've got 'Little Miss Trouble' again, I take it?"

"Yeah, apparently Debbie can't get out of her conference in Tampa, so Abby's on the road with me again," sighed Jericho. "It's a good thing she's out of school for the Thanksgiving holidays."

"I guess, but hanging around a wrestling arena can't be much fun," reasoned Charlotte, looking at the girl, as she brushed her long blonde hair in front of the mirror. "Especially when you've got a match in half an hour."

"Which is why I was wondering if you could watch her again, please?" asked Jericho with a sheepish smile.

"Of course. You know I'm always happy to keep an eye on Abby, Chris," replied Charlotte with a warm smile, before turning to the girl who was now braiding her hair. "How do you fancy hanging out with me for a while? I can finish off your hair for you if you want?"

"Yeah! I've love to," answered Abby, a grin creeping across her face. "Can I put some of your make up on again?"

The make up artist looked hesitantly towards Jericho. "As long as it's alright with your dad," she insisted.

"Yes, it's alright, as long as you do as Charlotte says and pack her things away when she asks," conceded Jericho, before turning back to the blonde. "Thanks for this, Charlie, you're a real star."

"It's not a problem, I told you that last time," she assured him, a slight blush creeping up her cheeks.

"Well, you know I'm eternally grateful. I'll pick Abby up when the show is over, and I've had chance to change."

"Are you sure?" questioned Charlotte. "I can always take her back to the hotel with me, and get her some dinner. I know Candice, Kelly and Maria would love to see Abby too."

Abigail looked expectantly between her father and the make up artist, hoping an evening with Charlotte and the divas was on the cards. "Please can I, Daddy?" she asked, with all the sweet innocence her inherited blonde hair and blue eyes would allow.

"Are you sure you and the girls won't mind?" asked Jericho. "Aren't you going out or anything?"

"Of course not. We didn't have anything special planned, and we always love hanging out with Abby," insisted Charlotte.

Abigail's eyes lit up, and she was practically bouncing up and down on the stool with excitement.

"You're really sure you don't mind?" Jericho checked again.

"I told you, it's not a problem. Go out and have a few drinks with the guys. I'll look after Abby, and bring her back later," insisted Charlotte. "Now, get going before you're late for your match, and Orton has to drag you out to the ring."

"Yes Ma'am," laughed Jericho, and then he turned and embraced Charlotte. "Thank you again, I really do appreciate it."

The blonde blushed deeply, as the wrestler set her back on her feet, and hurried off for the main event of RAW.

"So, Abby, what do you want to do tonight?" she asked, looking at the girl, who was now idly flicking through some fashion magazines.

"Well, we have this party coming up at school, after the holidays," Abby began, obviously bringing something up she'd been dying to ask Charlotte about. "And I was wondering if you, Candice, Kelly and Maria would mind helping me choose an outfit and stuff? I mean, I could ask mum, but she's always so busy, and dad knows nothing about girl things. I think the idea that I'm even going to this party freaks him out a little. Plus... well, you and the divas always look so pretty. I hope I look like you when I'm older."

Again, the make up artist blushed, but then smiled warmly at the girl.

"Of course we'll help you pick out an outfit, and I'll even teach you how to do your make up yourself, for the party," she said affectionately.

"Thank you, Charlie, you're the best," said Abby jumping off the stool, and embracing the older blonde.

"You're welcome, honey, anytime I can help, just ask," replied Charlotte, smoothing down the girl's golden locks.

Charlotte and Abigail then waited out the remainder of RAW, flicking though fashion magazines, and discussing options for the girl to wear to the party.

They were both so excited, looking at pictures of cute t-shirts and funky jeans, that they didn't even notice that the show had ended, and crew members were packing up the equipment around the arena.

"My goodness, look at the time," exclaimed Charlotte finally. "We should pack up and head to the hotel, otherwise Candice, Kelly and Maria will be wondering where we are."

"Ok," agreed Abby helping the blonde to pack up the few remaining items of her make up kit.

When all their belongings were together, Charlotte and Abigail caught a ride with Paulo back to the hotel.

As always, the hairstylist was thrilled to see Abigail, and had her and Charlotte in hysterics for the duration of the journey.

When they arrived at the hotel, Paulo said good-bye, and then went off to meet some friends for the evening, before Charlotte left a message at the reception desk for Candice, Kelly and Maria, telling them she had Abigail for the evening, and to come up to her room when they got there.

In Charlotte's hotel room, the make up artist rang out to order them all some pizza for dinner, as Abigail began rummaging through the blonde's suitcase, looking at outfits.

"Wow, Charlie. All your clothes are so pretty, I wish my mum would let me wear things like this," she said, holding up a baby pink tube top.

"I think that top's a little too old for you, Abby," said Charlotte, putting the phone back on the base, and coming to join Abigail on the bed, before suggesting a different garment. "But this would look very cute on you. I think it shrank in the wash, so why don't you keep it?"

The smaller blonde's eyes lit up in delight, as Charlotte handed her a sky blue t-shirt that had a picture of a kitten – made out of fake diamonds – on it.

"Really? You don't want it?" she questioned in awe at being given the item of clothing.

"No, you go a head and keep it," insisted Charlotte with a bright smile.

"Thank you," replied Abigail, with a beaming grin.

As the smaller blonde tucked the t-shirt into her backpack, there was a knock on the hotel room door.

"Hopefully, that's Candice, Kelly and Maria," said Charlotte, rising from the bed to answer it.

True to her suspicion, the three divas were waiting on the other side of the door. Candice was armed with the pizzas Charlotte had ordered earlier, Maria was holding a big bottle of coke, and Kelly had a large tub of chocolate ice cream in her hands.

"Hello," said Candice, as she entered the room and set the steaming box on the small table in the middle of the room. "We saw the pizza guy on our way up, so I checked if the order was for us and went ahead and paid for it."

"And on the way back from the hotel, I had the good foresight to get us some dessert," added Kelly, dropping her offerings on the table to join the pizza.

"Thank you, girls, you really are awesome," replied Charlotte, as the divas joined them on the bed, and they all opened the food, and began eating.

"How are you, Abby?" asked Candice, after finishing her first slice of pizza. "Having fun on the road with your dad?"

"Yeah, especially as I get to hang out with you guys again," replied Abby, with a massive grin.

"I suppose that's the advantage to having a dad who's a wrestler, and a friend like Charlotte," commented Maria, starting on the ice cream.

After Charlotte, Abigail, Maria, Kelly and Candice had almost eaten and drank their weight in pizza, ice cream and coke, the older blonde explained that Abby had a school party coming up, and all four of them began discussing outfits.

Over an hour passed, as the five females experimented with make up, hair styles and clothes Abigail could have for the party. Then, as they took a break from the fun they'd been having, Abby suddenly tuned serious.

"There's... something else I wanted to ask you all about," she began, turning bright red.

"What is it, Sweetie? Is there a boy you like at school?" asked Maria, her mind already forming the perfect love advice.

"No, it's not a boy," replied Abby hesitantly. "The thing is... well... I started my period the other day, and I'm too scared to talk to dad about it, and ..."

All four of the women smiled knowingly, having all been through this awkward stage of their lives themselves.

"It's ok, honey," reassured Charlotte, suddenly feeling very maternal and embracing the girl. "We've all been through it, and I know it can seem scary at first. What you've got to remember though, is its natural and happens to every woman. All it is, is another sign you're growing up."

"Plus it's a good excuse to eat as much chocolate as you like," added Kelly kindly.

Everyone laughed, and it was clearly obvious Abigail was feeling a little bit better already. Then she smiled at them, and spoke again. "What I'm really worried about is buying sanitary towels and stuff. Dad won't let me go to the store alone, and I'd be too embarrassed to buy them with him there," she confessed sheepishly.

"How about, tomorrow, I ask your dad if I can take you to the store?" suggested Charlotte. "I'll help you pick out the right ones, and if you want, I'll tell him about it too?"

"Would you really?" asked Abby in awe of the offer. "I mean, if you explained to him, then I wouldn't have to be embarrassed as much."

"Of course I will. It's not a problem at all," assured Charlotte. "I remember what it was like when mine started; I didn't have an older sister to talk to it about and I was too embarrassed to go to my mum. You know I said earlier, you can ask me about anything, and I mean that. Whenever you're on the road with your dad and you have a problem or something, come and talk to me about it. I promise, I'll help as best I can, and I won't tell your dad unless you want me to."

Abigail's face broke into the broadest smile Charlotte had ever seen anyone wear, and she was sure the girl even had small tears in her eyes.

"Thank you, Charlotte," Abby said, her voice becoming chocked with emotion. "I wish my mum was more like you."

The make up artist blushed deeply at the compliment, and hugged Abigail tightly.

"Anytime, sweetheart," she said affectionately, as she smoothed the girl's hair down.

Having gotten her personal problem off her chest, Abigail insisted they all continue looking through magazines at clothes and hair styles.

By the end of the evening, she'd decided to wear the top Charlotte had given her, with some jeans she hoped to talk one of her parents into buying for her.

Candice and Charlotte had taught Abigail how to apply some discrete shimmering make up for the party, and Maria and Kelly had taught her how to style her hair; Maria even offered to give the girl her crimping irons, so she could use them for the event.

As they settled down to watch the television, the make up artist's cell phone began to ring.

"Ok, Chris, I'll bring her round to your room in a minute," Charlotte said. "And yes, she hasn't been a problem at all."

Abigail gathered her things together, and then said good night to the divas, before she and Charlotte walked over to Jericho's room.

The make up artist only had to knock on the door once, before the wrestler answered. His eyes lit up, as he saw his daughter wearing a happy grin.

"Did you have a good night, sweetheart?" he asked, gesturing Charlotte and Abigail into the room.

"Yup. We had pizza, and ice cream and coke," replied Abby happily. "And then Charlie, Candice, Kelly and Maria helped me pick out an outfit for the school party."

Jericho momentarily frowned at the mention of his little girl going to her first party, but then smiled seeing how excited she looked.

"That's great, honey," he said warmly. "And you were a good girl for Charlotte?"

"Of course," said Abby innocently.

"Good," Jericho replied, then added, "Why don't you go wash up and get ready for bed?"

"Ok, Dad," agreed Abby, before turning to Charlotte and saying affectionately. "Thanks again for everything."

"You're welcome, honey," returned Charlotte.

The smaller blonde then grabbed her bag, and bounded into the wash room, as Jericho turned to Charlotte, a big smile on his face.

"Thank you so much for looking after her for the evening," he said warmly. "I always worry about taking Abby on the road with me, and knowing she was in your safe hands tonight really took a weight of my mind. You don't know how much I appreciate it, Charlie."

The make up artist blushed, for what she felt like was the hundredth time that night. Abigail and her dad sure knew how to flatter an ego.

"I told you, Chris, I love having her around and I'm happy to help out whenever you need me to," Charlotte said genuinely. "In fact, I was hoping you'd let me take her out for a few hours tomorrow? You'll be at the gym or in meetings half the day, and I kind of promised Abby I'd taker her to the mall."

"Erm... you're sure it won't be an inconvenience?" asked Jericho. "I mean, I'm happy for you to look after Abby, and god knows she'd be bored to death coming to the gym with me. I just don't want you to feel like you have to, because the little madam has sweet talked you into it."

The make up artist laughed, knowing full well how Abby – with her gorgeous and innocent looks – could sweet talk Eskimos into buying ice.

"Of course it's ok. I offered, didn't I?" she insisted, happily. "Besides, I could do with an excuse to eat an ice cream sundae or two."

Jericho laughed and then said, "Ok, but let me give you some money to get yourselves both lunch, and I promise, when Abby is back with Debbie, I'll take you out for dinner to say thank you."

"You don't have to give me money to buy lunch for us. I offered to take Abby out, so it's my treat," insisted Charlotte, then added "And you definitely don't have to buy me dinner to say thank you."

"No deal then," protested Jericho. "You let me pay for lunch, and take you out in a few weeks, or I insist Abby stays with me."

His tone was joking and casual, however, and Charlotte knew even if she refused again, Abigail would still be allowed to go to the mall with her the next day. All the same, the blonde conceded, knowing it was no point arguing. "Alright then, you've got yourself a deal."

"Great," smiled Jericho. "I'll give Abby breakfast in the morning and drop her around about eleven, if that's ok?"

"Yeah, eleven is perfect," replied Charlotte with a smile, and then turned to leave.

However, the wrestler grabbed her hand just as she reached the door, and pulled her back, so that they were now just inches apart. The make up artist took a deep breath, and sighed, it obvious that he'd not long taken a shower, because he smelt so good.

"Charlie," he said, in a low, deep voice. "Thank you again for everything."

This time the color in Charlotte's so obvious, she had to turn away to hide it.

"I told you, it's not a problem," she whispered in reply.

"Well, I really do appreciate it," insisted Jericho one last time.

"I know," returned Charlotte. "Listen, I'm sorry, but I really should be getting back. The girls are still waiting in my room, and we've got all the pizza things to clear up."

"Ok, well I'll see you in the morning then," said Jericho, then he hesitated momentarily, as though he wanted to say more, but just added, "Sleep well."

"Thanks, you too," replied Charlotte, turning to the door again and this time actually leaving.

Outside the hallway seemed a lot cooler than Jericho's room had, and the make up artist took a deep breath and leaned up against the wall.

After a few moments, Charlotte's legs stopped wobbling, and her breathing slowed to a normal pace. She shook her blonde tresses out of her eyes, and returned to her own room.

Candice, Kelly and Maria were indeed waiting for the make up artist, and had also cleared up her room for her. Now, the three divas sat on Charlotte's bed, watching a late night movie.

"You were a long time," commented Candice, as Charlotte joined her friends on the bed.

"Yeah, I had to ask Chris if it's ok if I take Abby to the mall tomorrow," explained Charlotte, as though nothing else had happened.

"And it took you half an hour to ask him that?" questioned Maria expectantly, as though her friend was withholding information from them.

"Well, no. He also insisted on taking me out for dinner – when Abby is back with her mum - to say thank you," confessed Charlotte, blushing again, and then rolling her eyes at the looks on Candice, Kelly and Maria's faces. "What? He's just being nice, and wanting to repay the favour."

"Uh-huh," said Kelly, in a way which meant she thought there was a damn lot more to it.

"You certainly seem to be spending a lot of time with Abby," commented Maria with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, she's a sweet kid, and it's unfair for her to be bored while Chris is on the road," insisted Charlotte with a shrug, as though it was nothing. "I'm just being a good friend, and helping him out by watching her every now and again."

"Every now and again?" questioned Candice. "You've had Abby every time Chris had brought her to work."

"And, you seem to be taking a mighty big interest in the girl, considering you and Chris are just friends," added Maria, with a sly grin.

"Oh for Christ's sake," exclaimed Charlotte, flopping back on the bed. "Do y'all have to start this again? Haven't we been through this exact same conversation a millions times before? I asked y'all to just gimme a while to sort out things in my head, before you start planning the wedding."

"Oh, come on, Charlie, he's taking you out for dinner," Candice pointed out, with triumphant grin. "Without Abby, that sounds like a date to me."

"And you're completely ignoring the fact that I'm just not sure if I'm ready for all this," insisted Charlotte, as though her friends were suggesting the most unreasonable thing ever. "I told y'all before, I'm ready to risk the friendship I have with him on a 'maybe'."

"Me thinks the lady doth protest too much," teased Maria, her eyes sparkling so much that the blonde knew she was plotting something.

"Y'all are insane," laughed Charlotte, dismissing the divas' suggestions altogether. "I think you've been reading too many romance novels or something."

"Hum... we'll see," said Candice blithely.

"Whatever," muttered Charlotte now begging to get a little bored of the topic of conversation. "It's getting late, girls. I think I'm going to turn in for the night."

"Alright," said Kelly cheerfully, as she rose from the bed. "Do you want us to come with you to the mall tomorrow?"

"Only if you want to," replied Charlotte in the same happy tone, now content that the subject of her and Jericho had been dropped.

"And turn down a shopping opportunity? I think not," laughed Maria.

"Of course," agreed Charlotte. "Well, Chris is dropping Abby off at eleven. So, do you two want to meet downstairs at ten, say? And grab some breakfast first?"

"Sounds like a plan to me," replied Candice cheerfully, as she, Kelly and Maria headed towards the door.

"Sweet dreams, Charlie," said Maria facetiously, with a knowing wink.

"Oh give it a rest, already, will you?" laughed Charlotte, as she saw her friends out, and wished them a good night in turn.


	15. I'm always here

**Author's Notes: **I'd like to thank** Alkira Sonoma, Westfan, Fozzy-Floozy, Inday, AshMattXoXo, Super T, XxMAKExXitorbreakitXx, purplefeather21, Rheya-Goddess, Disco Inferno1, chnoelle **and** SummerRain173** for your awesome reviews for chapter 14 – I'm glad y'all are still enjoying the story, and all your comments really do mean the world to me!!

Additionally thanks to Gin (Disco Inferno1, USER ID: 339498) and Karen (IMissPadfoot, USER ID: 1133633) for your help with this chapter. You girls are amazing, and I really don't tell you both enough how much I love you!

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen: ****I'm always here. **

That morning, slightly earlier than usual, Charlotte jumped out of bed.

"You're up early," commented Ashley, who was propped up on her pillow and had been chatting away on her mobile since six AM.

"Yeah, for some reason I couldn't sleep," teased Charlotte, grabbing her robe, toiletries and a towel, before heading into the wash-room to take a shower.

Half an hour later, the – now fully dried and dressed – Charlotte re-entered the room and began styling her hair.

"Seriously, Charlotte, what's going on? You're never usually out of bed before nine, even if I am yapping away on the phone," joked Ashley, rising from her bed and heading to the wash-room herself. "Is there some crew meeting or something I'm forgetting about?"

"Nah, I'm just in a good mood is all. Me and some friends are heading to the mall, and I'm kinda excited," Charlotte half-lied in reply. It was true, she was looking forwards to hanging out with the divas and Abigail, but that wasn't the only reason she'd risen early that day.

"Ah-ha, shopping. I should have guessed that's why you're acting so perky," said Ashley facetiously. "Well, have a good time and I guess I'll see you after the holidays."

"Oh, yeah, Thanksgiving," said Charlotte, suddenly remembering what week they were on. "You have a great holiday too, Ash."

"Thanks," replied Ashley, heading into the wash-room and leaving Charlotte alone to apply her make up.

Another half an hour later, and the blonde was all ready to go. Grabbing her purse, coat and key-card, the make up artist left her hotel room, and headed down to the lobby to meet Candice, Kelly and Maria for breakfast.

The three divas were all waiting by the reception desk when Charlotte arrived, and each of them greeted her with broad smiles, and then tight embraces.

"Oh, do I smell cinnamon rolls and coffee?" Charlotte asked, looking over Maria's shoulder and into the hotel restaurant. "Yes, I do. Come on, let's grab some breakfast, I'm starving."

With Charlotte striding ahead, Maria, Kelly and Candice followed her into the room, and they located an available table, before helping themselves to the self-service breakfast buffet.

The blonde piled her plate with about five cinnamon rolls, some yogurt to dip them in, and a huge mug of coffee, before settling back down into her seat, with a satisfied grin on her face.

"What a perfect way to start the day," she announced, before tucking into her breakfast.

The divas laughed, and then looked at Charlotte slightly suspiciously.

"Ok, Charlie, spill it. What's going on? You're never normally this happy in the morning, even if they are serving cinnamon rolls," inquired Kelly.

"Yeah, you're too full of beans," agreed Candice. "Has Macy's extended their sale or something?"

The blonde continued munching her cinnamon rolls, and then repeating her earlier worlds to Ashley, she replied, "I'm just in a good mood is all."

"Wait a minute," said Maria, a glint in her eyes. "I know that dopey look on your face; you're in love."

"Ah-ha! I knew it!" declared Kelly and Candice in triumphant unison.

"Jinx!" the two divas giggled, before everyone gathered around the table burst into hysterical laughter.

"Well, at least now y'all are jinxed I may get some peace from y'all and your insane theories," teased Charlotte, taking a large swig of coffee.

"Nah-ha! I'm not jinxed, so I can get the truth out of you," insisted Maria eagerly. "So, come on, spill."

The blonde threw her head back in laughter and chucked a cinnamon roll at her friend.

"The sun is shining, it's almost Thanksgiving, and I'm having a good breakfast, with my friends. Why shouldn't I be happy?" challenged Charlotte.

"I'm not buying that lame excuse," insisted Maria.

"Well, it's the only answer you're getting from me," teased Charlotte. "Now come on, stop your yapping and hurry up with breakfast; Chris will be dropping Abby off soon."

The three divas gave their friend a knowing look, and then continued eating, Kelly and Candice finding it very difficult as they we're still jinxed. Finally, Charlotte had the kindness to say Candice's full name, and the two friends were allowed to speak again.

After Charlotte, Candice, Kelly and Maria had finished their breakfast, they sat chatting over a few more cups of coffee, until Jericho and Abigail arrived.

The eleven-year-old girl bounded over to the three divas and make up artist, a huge grin on her face, as her dad followed behind, and then they both took seats around the table.

"Good morning," said Charlotte happily, causing the divas to snigger slightly behind their hands.

"Morning, girls," greeted Jericho. "Are you having a good breakfast?"

"Charlie is," informed Maria with a sly grin. "They're serving cinnamon rolls; they're her favourite."

"Mine too," said Jericho, stealing the last roll from Charlotte's plate and popping it into his mouth.

"Hey! That's mine," squeaked Charlotte, making a grab for the piece of food.

"You want it? You'll have to fish it out of my mouth," teased Jericho.

"With her tongue," Kelly whispered to Maria and Candice, causing all three divas to burst into renewed fits of laughter.

"No fair," pouted Charlotte. "You owe me now, buster."

"Baby, I promise, when we go out for dinner, I'll buy you all the cinnamon rolls you could ever want," assured Jericho with a grin, casually slinging his arm around her shoulder.

"Oh, you better," warned Charlotte, finishing off her mug of coffee, then turning to Abby. "And how are you this morning, honey?"

"I'm great thanks," replied Abby, who seemed in almost as high spirits as the older blonde. "I cannot wait to hit the mall with y'all."

"Oh my god, did you just say 'y'all'?" asked Candice, as everyone looked at Abby and began giggling.

The eleven-year-old blushed and nodded her head.

"Aww, that is so cute," commented Kelly. "You look up to Charlie so much that you're talking like her."

"I just think how Charlie talks is so cool," insisted Abby with a sheepish shrug.

"Well, I think it's awesome," announced Charlotte, before stroking Abigail's hair and saying, "I shall call her mini-me. Mwhahahahah."

The joke from the Austin Powers movies caused everyone to start laughing again.

When the renewed laughter had finally died away, and everyone was calm again, Jericho turned to the group and asked, "So, what time are you heading to the mall?"

The blonde looked around at her friends, who had all finished off their coffee now and were chatting with Abby.

"I guess now, seeing as we're all done with breakfast," she replied with a shrug. "Unless y'all want to grab something to eat first?"

"We've already eaten," informed Jericho. "Someone insisted on ordering room service, so that she could get ready as soon as possible, and then meet you lot."

"What? I was excited," exclaimed Abigail innocently, to which the divas began laughing again.

"Yeah, you're not the only one," teased Maria, casting a furtive glance at the make up artist.

"Well, if you're ready now, I could walk down to the gym with you?" offered Jericho. "It's only a block from the mall."

"Ok, sure," replied Charlotte with a smile. "Are you lot ready to go?"

The others nodded their head in agreeance, and then Charlotte, Candice, Kelly, Maria, Jericho and Abigail rose from the table, collected their belongings and made their way out of the hotel.

Despite it being November, the weather was surprisingly warm and the blonde actually had to take off her winter coat.

"Well, at least my hands aren't freezing today," she commented, striding to catch up with the others, who had walked ahead when she'd stopped to take her coat off.

"Guess you won't want me to keep you warm then?" asked Jericho with a fake pout.

"Well, actually, now that you mention it, my hands are going a little numb," she answered facetiously, her fingers perfectly fine.

The wrestler laced his fingers through the blonde's and they continued walking along the street, Maria, Kelly and Candice exchanging knowing looks.

Soon enough, they reached the gym, and Jericho stopped outside to say good-bye to everyone.

"Have a good morning, Abby," he said, bending down so that he was on eye level with his daughter. "And be good for Charlotte, and the divas."

"I will," Abby replied with a roll of her eyes, before embracing her father. "As long as you don't work too hard in the gym."

"Deal," returned Jericho, kissing Abigail on the forehead, then straightening up and turning to Charlotte. "Thank you again for taking Abby out for the morning."

"It's my pleasure," said Charlotte with a hugs grin.

"Here, take this and get you all some lunch," insisted Jericho, handing the blonde a roll of money. "There's some there for Abby to get herself some new jeans too, just make sure she gets something sensible."

Charlotte shook her head, and pushed away the wrestler's out stretched hand. "Chris, I told you last night, today is my treat," she insisted. "And besides, Candice, Maria and Kelly are joining us too, and you cannot be expected to buy lunch for all of us."

"And I told you last night, you've gotta let me pay for lunch today," returned Jericho, once again offering Charlotte the money. "It's only fair, not only are you watching Abby, but you paid when we went out for Sushi and Josh paid when we had dinner with him last week. It's my turn."

"Alright, but I'm only agreeing so you'll stop bugging me, and let me get to the mall. Those shoes don't buy themselves you know," conceded Charlotte facetiously.

"Well, in that case, I'll let you go then," replied Jericho with an amused laugh. "Because god knows women and shoes shouldn't be parted."

"Damn right," joked Charlotte. "Besides, haven't you got some working out to do or something? Or do you just plan on standing outside the gym all morning to watch?"

"Fine, I know when I'm not wanted," teased Jericho, picking up his gym bag from where it rested on the ground. "Have a great morning, and I'll see you back at the hotel later."

"Yeah, you too, Chris," answered Charlotte, pulling him into a tight embrace.

When the make up artist let go, she turned back to her friends and they began walking down the street.

"See you later, girls," Jericho called as Charlotte, Abigail and the divas headed off.

"Yeah, see you later," they all called back.

Once the women had rounded the corner, and were out of sight of the gym, Candice, Kelly and Maria all turned to the blonde with expectant looks on their faces.

"Unless your next question is where in the mall were heading first, then I'm not interested," teased Charlotte, with a smirk, before looking towards Abby. "Right, seeing as this is your day out and your dad gave you some money for new jeans, where do you want to go, sweetheart?"

"Well, I was hoping we could go to the drugstore first?" offered Abby. "You know, get the personal stuff out of the way so we can have some fun."

"Sounds like a great idea," agreed Maria, catching up with the girl and linking her arm. "I need a few things myself."

The others nodded, as they entered the mall, and consulted the map as to where the closest drug store was.

Once they'd found it, they made a bee-line for the aforementioned shop, and began browsing the aisles for sanitary products.

"I'm just popping over there to buy some condoms," Maria whispered to Charlotte. "I need some for when I visit Josh next, but didn't want Abby seeing."

"Oh my god, too much information there," giggled Charlotte, as the petite diva headed to the birth control aisle.

"What's too much information?" asked Abigail, eyeing the row Maria had just walked down. "And where's Maria going?"

The make up artist and remaining two divas exchanged looks; talking about periods was one thing, but a conversation about the 'birds and the bees' was really best left to one of the girl's parents.

"Nothing for you to worry your little pretty head over," assured Candice, wrapping her arm around Abby's shoulder, as the came to a halt in front of the sanitary towels and tampons.

"So, Abby," Charlotte began. "Which ones do you usually buy?"

"Well, I only started the other day, and I had a small packet, that I got from school to use," Abby replied with an unsure shrug of her shoulders.

"Do you remember what type of brand there were?" inquired Kelly, crouching down to look at the different feminine products.

Abby just shook her head, "No, they all look the same to me."

"Ok, how about I buy you a multi-pack of towels and tampons, then you can have a look yourself and decide which suits you best?" offered Charlotte, taking two boxes from the shelf and throwing them into her basket.

"Yeah, that would be great, thanks," replied Abby with a small smile. "You're still going to talk to dad about it, right?"

"Of course," assured Charlotte. "I'll speak to him when I take you back to the hotel. Unless you want me to do it when you're not around?"

"No, you can do it with me there. If I get too embarrassed, I'll just hide out in the wash-room," joked Abby.

"Ok, then. Is there anything else you need; maybe pain killers or something?" inquired Charlotte.

"No, I think that's all I need," replied Abigail with a small smile. "Is there anything you guys have to get?"

"Nah, we're all done here now," answered Candice, as they took their purchases up to the cash desk and paid for them.

As the attendant slipped the boxes into a bag, they spotted Maria standing by the door, swinging her own purchase, which was concealed inside the black bag.

"All done?" asked Maria.

"We sure are," replied Charlotte with a grin, as she wrapped her arm around Abby's shoulder.

"So, where to next?" inquired Kelly, as the quintet left the store and began roaming the mall randomly.

"Well, I have the money Dad gave me for some new jeans, maybe y'all could help me pick some out?" suggested Abby.

Charlotte, Candice, Kelly and Maria giggled at Abigail's use of 'y'all' and nodded their heads, making their way towards GAP.

Once inside the store, Abby, the three divas and make up artist began browsing the rails of garments, looking for something the eleven-year-old could wear to her forthcoming school party.

After about half an hour of looking - and the younger blonde holding pairs of jeans up to her body, to see what they'd look like on her – Abigail finally found some she liked. With the help of Charlotte and the divas, she'd picked out a pair of dark blue, flared jeans, which had frayed bottoms, rips around the knees and glittery butterflies embroidered onto the front and back pockets.

"Those will look awesome with your top," complimented Charlotte, as they headed to the cash desk.

"Yeah, especially if you do your hair and make up how we taught you to last night," added Maria.

"Are you all sure about what you're doing?" inquired Candice.

"Yeah, I practiced a little this morning, and I've got the hang of using the crimping irons, and I'm pretty sure I can apply the make up like you showed me how to," replied Abby with a huge grin. "Thanks again for helping me out with what to wear to the party."

"It's been our pleasure," replied the older women in unison.

After finishing up in GAP, Maria, Candice, Kelly and Maria brought a few things they'd need to take back with them to Mississippi for Thanksgiving, including some new wine glasses, and table decorations.

Then Abigail, the three divas and make up artist headed to the food quarter to get themselves lunch, during which time they chatted some more about Abigail's party and their plans for the holidays.

"I really hope dad takes me to visit Grandma and Grandpa for Christmas," commented Abby, as she sipped on her strawberry milkshake.

"Are you stopping with your dad or your mum for the holiday?" inquired Charlotte.

"A bit of both I think," returned Abby. "As they both live still close to each other still, I think Dad is having me until Christmas Eve, and then I'll be stopping at Mum's until I go back to school."

"Then why don't you ask him if you can visit your Grandparents, while you're with him?" offered Candice.

"Yeah, I think I'll ask him about it later," mused Abigail.

After lunch, the five females continued looking around the mall, Charlotte buying the younger blonde a small make up kit for her to use for the party and so that she could experiment with doing different styles herself.

Finally, they all caught a cab back to the hotel; Charlotte, Abigail, Maria, Candice and Kelly all feeling very tired now and their arms laden with shopping bags.

When they arrived in the lobby, the divas headed up to their respective rooms, to drop their bags off, and freshen up before that night's show, as the older blonde sent a text to Jericho to tell him she and Abigail were back now.

The wrestler replied, saying he was already in his room, and that they should head straight on up, so Charlotte and Abby jumped into an elevator and rode it up to the fifth floor.

Jericho was waiting in the corridor – leaning against his open hotel room door – when Charlotte and Abby arrived.

"Did you two have a good afternoon?" he asked, allowing them into the room.

"Yes thanks, dad," replied Abby with a huge grin. "I got some new jeans from GAP, we had Burger King for lunch, and Charlie brought be a make up kit to use for my party."

"Sounds great," beamed Jericho, kissing his daughter on the forehead, before turning to Charlotte. "She wasn't any trouble, was she?"

"Of course not, Abby is always a pleasure to hang out with," assured Charlotte.

"Glad to hear it," returned Jericho, winking at his daughter. "Do you wanna hang around and have a coffee? Or do you need to head off?"

"No, coffee sounds good; I'm not working later, so I'm in no rush," answered Charlotte, flopping down onto the bed.

"You're not flying home tonight then?" inquired Jericho, switching on the kettle and locating two mugs.

"Nah, Kelly is coming home with me and the others for Thanksgiving, so we're all flying out to Mississippi tomorrow, save her traveling on her own," informed Charlotte. "How about you?"

"I'm taking Abby back to Tampa tomorrow, and then Debbie is collecting her the following day," revealed the Jericho, handing Charlotte a steaming mug of coffee, before joining her on the bed.

"So, have you made any plans for the holiday yet?" inquired Charlotte, leaning back into the plump pillows on the bed, and relishing the feel after being on her feet all day. "Abby mentioned how she's looking forwards to seeing her Grandparents."

"Funny you should mention that," began Jericho. "They actually called just before you got back, and invited me and Abigail over for Christmas."

"Awesome!" exclaimed Abby. "Does that mean you'll be able to take me ice skating, dad?"

"Sure does, sweetheart," returned Jericho with a huge grin, as Abby jumped up onto the bed to join in with the conversation.

"Oh, I'm so jealous, I love ice skating," commented Charlotte with a sigh. "But obviously, it doesn't snow very often in Mississippi."

"You should come with us then," suggested Abby. "Grandma and Grandpa wouldn't mind if Charlie came too, would they?"

It was amazing how one innocent question from the child caused the Canadian and make up artist to both blush, and look sheepishly around the room.

"Well, no, I guess they wouldn't," shrugged Jericho. "But that isn't saying Charlotte would want to. I mean, you've probably got plans with your own family, right?"

Abigail looked expectantly at the blonde and said, "But it would only be until Christmas Eve, you could go home to your own family then, and still be able to spend the holiday with them."

"Abby, I don't know," replied Charlotte, her cheeks turning bright red. "It's a lovely offer, but I wouldn't want to impose on your Grandparents, and getting a flight home on Christmas Eve would be a nightmare."

"I'm sure Grandma and Grandpa wouldn't mind at all," insisted Abby hopefully. "And if catching a plane on Christmas Eve is a problem, then you could just go home the day before, couldn't you? Oh, please say you can come, Charlie, it'll be so much fun."

The make up artist looked quizzically at the wrestler, actually quite liking the sound of spending a few days in Canada with Jericho and his daughter.

"Chris, it's your call, they're you're parents after all," she said. "But if you're ok with it, I'd really like to come up with your guys."

"You wanna? Because I'd love you to," replied Jericho. "In fact, I'll give them a call now to see if it's ok, and then we can arrange your flight and stuff."

"Really? You're sure you don't mind and I wouldn't be imposing?" double checked Charlotte, now a little worried about how fast the plan was progressing.

"Yeah, I promised I'd show you around where I grew up, and it isn't more beautiful than at Christmas," returned Jericho with a grin, as he reached for his cell. "Come on, Charlie, it'll be fun."

"Ok then," beamed Charlotte. "Give your folks a call and see if it's ok."

Ten minutes later – during which time Abigail excitedly jumped around the room and Charlotte nervously bit her nails – Jericho clipped his cell shut and smiled widely at the two females.

"They said they'd love to have you up just before Christmas," he announced happily. "And my mum is already looking up flight times for us."

"Wicked!" exclaimed Abby, jumping into Charlotte's lap and throwing her arms around her.

"That's great," grinned Charlotte. "Thank your parents for me, won't you?"

"Of course," promised Jericho, joining the blonde and his daughter on the bed again. "I'm really pleased you're visiting with us; we're going to have a great time."

"Yeah, it should be fun," agreed Charlotte, butterflies suddenly forming in her stomach.

The three of them fell into chatting about their plans for when Charlotte visited Canada, until Abigail announced that she wanted to go and have a bath. The make up artist instantly knew it was the eleven-year-old's way of saying she was still worrying about telling her dad that her period had started, and wanted the blonde to do it when she wasn't in the room.

Once the sound of running water was filling the room, and Abigail had closed the door behind her, Charlotte took her chance to broach the sensitive subject.

"Erm, Chris, there's something Abby wanted me to talk to you about," she began.

The wrestler nodded his head and lent back against the pillows next to the blonde.

"You see, the thing is, Abby started her period recently, and she's embarrassed about telling you herself," informed Charlotte. "That's why I took her to the mall today; I promised to buy her some sanitary towels and stuff, and then said I'd tell you about it."

Jericho's eyes widened and then he smiled at Charlotte. "Well, it was only inevitable it would happen eventually," he sighed. "I'm just glad she's got you to talk about it with; because to be honest, if she had told me herself, I might have freaked out a little."

"Yeah, I figured you would," Charlotte returned with a small laugh. "But it's nothing to worry about. I've sorted her out with everything she needs, and she's a very mature kid; she's more than capable of handling this type of thing on her own."

"Oh, I know she is; it's me you've got to worry about," joked Jericho. "Seriously though, I really appreciate you being there for Abby. I'm useless with women's troubles, so it's good that she's got someone got you to turn to."

"It's my pleasure," assured Charlotte with a warm smile. "I told her, and I'll tell you now; if you ever need me for anything, I'm always here – for both of your."

"Thanks, Charlie, that means a lot," returned Jericho, taking the blonde's hands, and gently running his finger along her palm. "You know, I some times wonder what I'd do without you around."

The make up artist blushed, and turned away sheepishly.

"I guess not have random guests for Christmas," she mumbled in reply, before straightening herself up and adding, "You know, it's getting late. I really should get ready and meet the girls."

"Oh yeah, I forgot you're going out tonight," said Jericho, rising from the bed and walking to the door with the blonde. "I guess I won't see you now until after Thanksgiving?"

"I suppose so," shrugged Charlotte, the fact that she'd be away from work for almost a week finally dawning on her. Despite the fact that she had plans with her friends over the holidays, the make up artist suddenly felt a little miserable at the realization she wouldn't be seeing Jericho for about seven days.

"Can I give you a ring later on in the week?" he asked. "Because we've still got to arrange dinner, and then there's your flight to Canada to sort out."

"Yeah, that would be nice," answered Charlotte, reaching for the door.

"Ok, well, have a great Thanksgiving, and I'll see you when we're back at work," said Jericho, pulling Charlotte into a tight embrace.

"Yeah, you have a nice holiday too," she returned, wrapping her arms around the wrestler's waist. "And I guess I'll talk to you later on in the week."

"You sure will," he assured, kissing her on the forehead. "Take care and I'll talk to you soon."

"You too, Chris," replied Charlotte, brushing her fingers through his hair.

The couple remained embracing for a few moments longer, both lingering on the edge of saying - or doing – something more, before the make up artist opened the door, and said, "Well, I best be off."

"Ok, see you soon," Jericho called, as Charlotte made her way along the corridor and to the elevator.

"Not if I catch you first," Charlotte called back over her shoulder, with a cheeky wink.


	16. Reasons to be Thankful

**Author's Notes:** I'd like to thank **Fozzy-Floozy, Alkira Sonoma, littleone999, Super T, Inday, XxMAKExXitorbreakitXx, Westfan, SummerRain173, nicole, cassymae, AshMattXoXo, Rheya-Goddess **and** Disco Inferno1** for your awesome reviews for chapter 15 – I'm so flattered and thrilled y'all are still enjoying this story, and all your comments mean the world to me!

Additionally thanks to Gin (Disco Inferno1, USER ID: 339498) and Karen (IMissPadfoot, USER ID: 1133633) for your help with this chapter. You girls are amazing, and I really don't tell you both enough how much I love you!

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen: Reasons to be Thankful.**

The day before Thanksgiving, Charlotte, Paulo, Maria, Candice and Kelly all flew to Mississippi for the holidays. As always, Ellie picked the make up artist and her friends up from the airport.

"My god, mum and dad are driving me insane," Ellie exclaimed, after they'd all got into her car and were heading back to the Robinson house. "Their flight is this evening, and they're both running around like a pair of headless chickens."

"Maybe we'll just stay in the guest house until they go then," commented Charlotte.

"It'd be for the best, unless you want to be yelled at for breathing in the wrong place," returned Ellie.

True to the younger blonde's words, when they arrived at Charlotte's house, Loretta and Charles could both be seen running frantically between the house and their car.

"Why aren't you giving them a ride to the airport?" inquired Charlotte, as she, Paulo and the divas dragged their cases to the guest house.

"Because, they wanted to take their car, in case I'm in class when they return. Besides, Dad doesn't want me driving back late at night on my own," replied Ellie.

"We'd come with you though," insisted Paulo, as they all entered the guest house.

"Nah, its best if we just keep out of their way and leave them to it," assured Ellie.

"If you insist," returned Charlotte, putting her case in her bedroom, and then fetching a jug of iced tea from the refrigerator. "So, what do we still need to get for dinner tomorrow?"

"Well, we picked up some new glasses, and extra plates and cutlery the other day," commented Maria, taking a seat on the couch.

"And I've got started on the side-dishes to go with the turkey," added Ellie. "I was off from school yesterday, so I made some dumplings, devilled eggs and cornbread. Really it's just stuff that can only be prepared on the day, like the cranberry sauce, stuffing and gravy."

"I've got a recipe for pecan pie from my mum, but that won't need making yet," said Candice.

"I don't know, it might be an idea to make it this evening, if I'm in the kitchen cooking the turkey tomorrow, then there won't be much space," Paulo pointed out.

"Oh Christ, a turkey. You know, I didn't even think about buying one, and it'll be far too late now," exclaimed Charlotte.

"Don't worry, Charlie, Mama brought the turkey and whatever else we'll need for the main meal, like potatoes and vegetables. It's just the ingredients for dessert and the appetizers you'll need to get from the store, along with some wine," assured Ellie.

"Oh, God bless her," sighed Kelly.

"Ok, shall we head to the store now?" inquired Charlotte.

"Yeah, with how busy it'll be on the evening before Thanksgiving, we could be some time," commented Candice.

So, Charlotte, Candice, Kelly, Maria, Paulo and Ellie all jumped back into the beauty student's VW Beetle and headed to the nearest mall.

True to their suspicions, the shopping centre was packed with customers buying last minute things for the holiday.

They quickly headed to the closest grocery store, where thankfully they were able to locate everything Candice and Kelly would need to make dessert and a starter. Then, they headed to the alcohol section, to choose some wine to accompany their dinner.

Charlotte selected two bottles of Chardonnay to go with the turkey, a bottle of Zinfandel Rose to have with dessert, and then some spirits and mixers to drink in the evening.

When they had everything they needed for Thanksgiving dinner, they headed back to the Robinson house, arriving just in time to see Loretta and Charles off on their vacation.

"Good-bye, my babies, have a wonderful time while we're away and behave yourselves," Loretta said, embracing both of her daughters in turn.

"Yeah, I don't want to see our house wrecked when we get back," added Charles, as he too hugged Charlotte and Ellie good-bye.

"Come off it, Daddy. We're adults now, we can be left in the house alone, you know," returned Ellie with a roll of her eyes.

"Don't worry, I'll see that everyone behaves themselves," assured Paulo with a slight smirk, knowing full well he, Charlotte, Ellie and the divas would probably raise hell while Loretta and Charles were away, but would make sure the house was spotless for when they returned.

"Glad to hear it," smiled Charles. "Well, y'all have a great Thanksgiving, and we'll see you soon."

"Yeah, both of you have a safe trip and we'll see you soon, Daddy," said Charlotte, as she saw her parents into their car.

Waving through the open windows as they did so, Loretta and Charles pulled out of the driveway, and then with one final beep of the car horn they departed.

When the vehicle had vanished from sight, the six friends headed into the main house, to begin making a start on the following day's dinner.

Paulo prepared the turkey, giving it a butter, herb and lemon rubbing, as Candice made her Pecan Pie, and Kelly cooked some tomato soup to have as a starter.

Everything else that they would be eating wouldn't need to be prepared until the following morning, so after everything was as ready as it could be, they all headed over to the guest house.

"You know, it's gonna be pretty cramped for y'all in here. Why don't some of you sleep in the main house?" suggested Ellie. "Paulo can have my bed, I'll bunk in with Maria in mum and dad's room, Candice could sleep in guest-room and then Kelly could share with you, Charlie."

"Yeah, that's a great idea," agreed Charlotte. "Is mum and dad's bed made up? I know the guest-room is, then all we'd need to do is get bedding for Kelly, and I think I have some clean in my closet."

"Yeah, mum made sure her room was usable in case any of us wanted to use it," replied Ellie. "And I've put fresh sheets on my bed."

"Great, we'll do that then," said Candice with a grin.

The six friends spent the evening watching DVDs in Charlotte's lounge room – despite it being smaller than the main house, it was warmer and no one felt like traipsing backwards and forwards all night.

Having an early start the following day, so that they could begin cooking in time to have dinner ready for one o'clock, Charlotte, Ellie, Maria, Candice, Kelly and Paulo decided to have an early night, and headed to bed after watching only _Just My Luck_, which started their favourite actress; Lindsay Lohan.

Charlotte pulled out a camp bed for Kelly to sleep on, and made it up with fresh sheets. Then, after changing into their pyjamas, the two girls sat up chatting for a while.

"You know, after the New Year, I'm thinking of talking to Stephanie McMahon and the other writers, to see if I can move from ECW," Kelly informed.

"That will be cool," replied Charlotte. "What do you thing your chances will be?"

"I'm not sure to be honest, my last match was pretty awful actually," sighed Kelly. "I worked so hard, and in every practice it went great; something just happened on the night. I was gutted. However, hopefully, they'll see how hard working I am and think about moving me."

"Well, I'll keep my fingers crossed for you," promised Charlotte.

"Have you heard from Valerie Ford yet, about what's going to be done about you and Beth?" inquired Kelly.

"No, I haven't actually. I assume she's been busy, what with the holidays approaching and all," reasoned Charlotte. "I hope whoever we're referred to actually does something about it though. I mean, it's kind of unfair that just because Beth is a diva, she gets away with treating me like she does. If it were the other way around, I'd have been out on my ass in seconds. Hell, they even put me on six months probation just because I retaliated to her taunts."

"I know, its total bullshit," agreed Kelly. "If it hadn't been for Chris saying Beth provoked you, she would have gotten away with it. Can you not make a record of all of her attacks or something?"

"I could, but I doubt it'll do much use. Now that Valerie has told us to stay away from each other, and we've both been put on three months probation, I don't think Beth will try anything else; she isn't that stupid. As it stands now, there is just this one instance, where both of us were in the wrong, and Beth's out burst in Valerie's office," explained Charlotte.

"Well, that's gotta count for something, right?" insisted Kelly hopefully. "I mean, now Valerie knows just what Beth is really like, and she'll have made a record of it."

"Yeah, but one instance isn't going to get someone fired, especially not when that someone is Women's Champion," reasoned Charlotte. "I've just gotta hope it all blows over, or that Beth is stupid enough to dig herself in even deeper."

"We could always set something up to make her look bad?" offered Kelly. "Do something to provoke her, with all of us around you."

"Nah, it isn't worth the risk. As I said, I don't think Beth is stupid enough to attack me again, and she isn't dumb enough to do it with y'all there," protested Charlotte. "I'm just gonna keep my head down, and let the 'powers that be' deal with it."

"Yeah, that might be for the best," agreed Kelly. "After all, you don't wanna lose your job."

"Hells no, I'm having too much damn fun!" grinned Charlotte.

"Hum… I wonder why?" smirked Kelly.

"Don't you even start," laughed Charlotte, throwing a cushion at her friend.

When the two blondes had calmed themselves down, they decided they really should be getting to sleep, and settled down for the night.

"Sweet dreams, Charlie," wished Kelly.

"You too, Kels," replied Charlotte, and then snuggled under her duvet.

* * *

The following morning, everyone rose early to begin preparing Thanksgiving dinner. Paulo took the turkey out of the refrigerator, which had now had twelve hours to marinate in its butter and herb seasoning. Ellie began preparing the beans, sweet potatoes and vegetables that would accompany the main meal.

As Candice's pie only needed baking, and Kelly's soup only needed heating up, there wasn't much for the others to do. Therefore, Charlotte and the two divas helped out by preparing the cranberry sauce, stuffing and gravy.

Finally, at ten to one, the whole house smelt of the delicious aroma of turkey cooking, and Paulo informed them all he would be ready to serve up soon.

Candice, Kelly and Maria went to freshen up, as Ellie put some cheery music on the CD player, and Charlotte began setting the table.

The make up artist's natural creative flair meant that the table was dressed exquisitely, with a lilac table cloth, deep plum coloured plates, complementing napkins, gleaming silver cutlery and purple tinted wine glasses. In the centre of the table, the blonde had arranged a horn of plenty, with fresh flowers. It consisted of a wicker horn covered in mauve Freesias, purple Lenten Rose, violet Irises and white Baby's Breath - as filler. Scattered sporadically around the table were candles in similar hues, smelling sweetly of berries, spices and other seasonal scents.

"Wow, this all looks amazing," complimented Candice, as she Kelly and Maria re-entered the room.

"And the food smells wonderful," added Maria.

"Thank you," replied Charlotte and Paulo in unison, before the Latino added, "Right, the turkey is ready, and just needs some time to rest, so do you want to start serving the soup, Kelly?"

The blonde diva nodded, as everyone sat dawn, and Charlotte poured them all glass of wine.

The ECW star heaped steaming ladles of rich tomato soup into each of the bowls, and then set them out in front of her friends, Ellie adding a basket of bread rolls to the spread.

"Well, tuck in then," encouraged Kelly.

The others happily agreed, and began eating the warm, creamy soup. It was extremely tasty and filling and all the diners complimented the blonde diva on her offering.

After they'd had time to allow their starter to digest, Ellie announced the all the accompaniments to the main meal were now ready, and asked Paulo if he'd like to serve the turkey.

The Latino nodded, and brought the huge bird to the table on a gleaming silver platter.

As the hairstylist carved succulent slices of meat from the turkey, and began piling them onto his friends' plates, Ellie served up the beans, sweet potatoes and vegetables. The dumplings, devilled eggs, cornbread, cranberry sauce, stuffing and gravy were already set out for the diners to help themselves to.

Before starting to eat, Paulo said grace, and then Charlotte raised her wine glass in a toast.

"To Thanksgiving, and spending it with the ones you love," she announced.

The others tipped their glasses, and agreed, before they began tucking into the most deliciously prepared meal they'd ever eaten. The turkey was tender and succulent, Paulo's cooking rivalling that of Loretta Mae's.

The accompanying side dishes were scrumptious, and complemented the main meal perfectly. Praise and compliments for the chefs rang out along the table.

Finally, all having eaten more than they should have, and feeling stuffed to the point of bursting, the friends relaxed back in their chairs.

"So, what are y'all thankful for?" inquired Charlotte, as she sipped her wine.

"I'm thankful for having such wonderful and considerate friends," replied Paulo, tears forming in his eyes. "If it hadn't been for the kindness of you guys, I would have been alone today."

Everyone 'awwed' and reached across the table to embrace the Latino, saying they were very glad to have him here.

"Well, I'm thankful for knowing people who can cook so wonderfully; that's the best meal I've ever tasted," complimented Maria. "Paulo, you've been outstanding."

The hairstylist blushed, and nodded his head sheepishly.

"I'm thankful for the hospitality of Charlotte, Ellie and their parents," remarked Kelly. "This is the first truly happy Thanksgiving I've had since mum married Aaron."

Again, the others around the table insisted that they were glad to have her here.

"I'm thankful for the company of my closet friends," said Candice, taking her turn. "I couldn't have wished for anything better."

"Hear, hear," added Ellie. "It's been great having y'all here. So, Charlie, what are you thankful for?"

"Love," the make up artist replied simply. "The love of my parents, who allowed me to invite friends over. The love of my sister for always being there for me. The love of my best friends in the whole world, for making this holiday magical."

Candice, Kelly, Maria, Ellie and Paulo all burst out laughing.

"Girl, that's the single cheesiest thing I ever heard," teased Paulo.

"Yeah, you sound like some card from Hallmark," added Maria, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes.

"Fine then," pouted Charlotte. "I'm thankful for this left-over mashed potato, because I get to throw it at y'all."

Then, shrieking with laughter, the blonde grabbed handfuls of the aforementioned food, and began chucking it at each of her friends. The others wasted no time in joining in with the food fight, and soon fist fulls of left over turkey, vegetables and dumplings were flying across the room.

Finally – everyone now covered from head to toe in gravy, cranberry sauce and other food – they all collapsed onto the floor in heaps of hysterical laughter.

* * *

The following day was spent relaxing, cleaning up the house, and eating what little turkey had been left over from the food-fight. Everyone was too tired from the recent festivities to do much more than lounge about, chatting, as they watched TV.

As Maria, Candice, Charlotte, Kelly, Ellie and Paulo sat around talking and sipping on glasses of rum and coke, the blonde's cell phone began to ring.

"Oh, it's lover boy," teased Ellie, tossing the phone to her sister.

The older blonde rolled her eyes, picked up the cell phone and then taking her drink into the kitchen with her, she answered it.

"Hey, Chris," she began, lazily leaning back on the counter top.

"Hey, Charlie, you all having a nice holiday?" Jericho returned.

"Yes thanks. We had a wonderful meal yesterday, which ended in a food fight, and have spent today relaxing," informed Charlotte with a chuckle. "How about you?"

"Sounds great," he said. "Me, I've not being doing much. Took Abby home, then met up with some friends last night and went out for dinner, just pretty relaxing stuff really."

"Still sounds good though," mused Charlotte. "So, how is Abby? Did she get home safely?"

"Yeah, she did, thanks for asking," returned Jericho, with a chuckle of his own. "She's so excited about her party; I couldn't shut her up for the whole flight to Tampa."

"Aww, bless her heart," sighed Charlotte. "I hope she has an awesome time."

"I'm sure she will," insisted Jericho, before informing, "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, I've got us plane tickets for Christmas. The flight leaves Friday morning, so we should get to my parents around lunch time. Then, I've booked you on a flight back to Mississippi for Christmas Eve morning, meaning you'll be able to spend the weekend with us."

"Oh, wow, that's awesome," answered Charlotte with a huge grin. "Thank you so much; I'm really excited now."

"Yeah, so am I. I cannot wait to take you and Abby ice skating, and you'll get to meet my parents, and Evan; it should be a great few days," returned Jericho, his own expression mirroring Charlotte's.

"Sounds wonderful," she agreed happily. "I suppose I best start deciding what I'll need to pack. Plenty of sweaters, hats and gloves, I assume?"

"Yeah, unless you want me to keep you warm?" inquired Jericho suggestively.

"Well, I could be persuaded to that way of thinking," Charlotte replied facetiously.

"I'll be counting on it," teased Jericho. "Well, I guess I should let you get back to your friends; no doubt they'll be listening at the door for all the gossip."

"I wouldn't expect anything less," laughed Charlotte. "I'm actually surprised Ellie hasn't come in under the pretence of making coffee or something."

No sooner had the words left the blonde's mouth, than the beauty student appeared in the kitchen, and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at her sister.

"Speak of the devil," giggled Charlotte. "I guess I should go back in there, before they start trying to arrange our wedding or something."

"Ok then," chuckled Jericho. "Well, enjoy the rest of your time off, and I guess I'll see you back at work. We're still going out for dinner, right?"

"Of course," agreed Charlotte. "You owe me all the cinnamon rolls I can eat."

"Oh yeah, how could I forget?" laughed Jericho. "Ok then, take care, and I'll see you soon."

"Not if I catch you first," teased Charlotte, before clipping her cell shut with a satisfied grin.

No sooner had the blonde slipped her cell into her pocket, than her sister rounded on her with questioning eyes.

"Well, what did he say?" Ellie asked eagerly.

"Let's grab some coffee and head back into the sitting room; then I'll tell you," promised Charlotte. "That way I won't have to repeat myself a million times."

The two sisters returned to the lounge, where Maria, Paulo, Candice and Kelly all looked at the make up artist expectantly.

With an amused roll of her eyes, the blonde sat down, and then relayed to her friends the conversation she and Jericho had just had.

"Oh my god," exclaimed her friends in unison, when Charlotte had finally finished speaking.

"Ok, now you cannot deny that there's something going on between y'all," insisted Ellie. "He's invited you to meet his parents for Christmas, for God's sake."

"Yeah, to me that means you're pretty much a couple," added Maria with a triumphant grin.

"Ok, ok, I admit it; something is going on between us," confessed Charlotte, with a sheepish smile. "But I'll be damned if I can figure out what that is exactly."

"Well, why don't you tell Chris how you're feeling?" suggested Paulo. "It's pretty obvious he likes you too, so it can only be a good thing."

"Maybe," sighed Charlotte dreamily. "Can I just see how dinner goes first, ok?"

"Ok," agreed Candice, with a knowing smile. "But you know, you've gotta tell him soon, Charlie."

"Yeah, you're falling for him pretty bad," added Kelly.

"I am, aren't I?" returned Charlotte before dissolving into school girl like giggles.

"Yeah, you are," laughed Maria. "And that's a reason to be thankful for, right there."


	17. You're my Princess

**Author's Notes:** I'd like to thank **Fozzy-Floozy, AshMattXoXo, Westfan, sweetantidote, SummerRain173, Inday, jeffhardyfan722, Alkira Sonoma, WWESupernatural102292, Super T, Rheya-Goddess, littleone999 and Disco Inferno1** for your awesome reviews for chapter 15 – I'm so flattered and thrilled y'all are still enjoying this story, and all your comments mean the world to me!

Additionally thanks to Gin (Disco Inferno1, USER ID: 339498) and Karen (IMissPadfoot, USER ID: 1133633) for your help with this chapter. You girls are amazing, and I really don't tell you both enough how much I love you!

Now, here's the chapter y'all have been waiting for – the 'date' chapter! Enjoy!!

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen: You're my Princess**

As Charlotte started packing her things away for the night, and making sure everything was cleaned up, she switched on her I-Pod.

The opening beats of Justin Timberlake's _Sexy Back_ began to play, as the blonde grabbed a broom, and started to sweep the floor.

Singing along, and shaking her bum, the blonde cleared up all the debris from the ground.

"I'm bringing sexy back. Them other boys dunno know how to act. I think you're special what's behind your back. So turn around and I'll pick up the slack," she sang, sounding like a dying cat.

"You sure are bringing sexy back," someone whispered in her ear, just after removing the headphone resting there.

The blonde screamed, her broom and I-pod clattering to the floor, and turned around to see Chris Jericho grinning at her.

"You can dance, but you sure as hell can't sing," he teased, jumping up onto the vanity table.

"Well, we all can't be famous rockstars, can we?" she returned, bending over to pick up the fallen broom and I-pod.

"I just wanted to check if we're still on for dinner?" asked Jericho, as Charlotte set down the broom, and hopped onto the stool besides him.

"Of course," replied Charlotte, smiling back at him. "Where are you taking me that's nice?"

"I haven't decided yet," shrugged Jericho, scrolling through the playlist on Charlotte's I-pod. "God, you really have appalling music taste. Remind me to give you a few Fozzy CDs. Ok, dinner, what do you fancy?"

"I don't know. You got any preferences?" asked Charlotte, snatching her I-pod back off the wrestler, with a slightly offended look.

"You know, I could kill for a cheeseburger, fries and a strawberry milkshake right about now," he commented. "I know this great diner, just a block from the hotel, which does the best cheeseburgers ever."

"Do they serve fried chicken?" questioned Charlotte, with a slightly maniacal look in her eyes.

"Yeah, and it's almost as nice as the cheeseburgers. Seriously, if they had places that served food as good as that diner everywhere, I'd be the size of Mark Henry," replied Jericho facetiously.

"Ok, you've got my vote," agreed Charlotte with a grin. "Fried chicken and cheeseburgers it is, then."

"Great. Ok, I'll meet you in the hotel lobby an hour after the show ends?" inquired Jericho, resting his elbows on the back of Charlotte's stool, and casually curling a lock of her hair around his finger.

"Yeah, sounds good to me," replied Charlotte, leaning her head back, so that it rested in his arms. "How was Abby's school party?"

"She had a great time, thanks. Apparently all the other girls were jealous of her outfit, and the fact you and the divas had shown her how to do her hair and make up," answered Jericho with a grin. "I've got some photos back at the hotel, so I'll bring them with me later."

"Oh, great. I cannot wait to see them," said Charlotte, before straightening up and taking out her I-pod again. "Now, are you going to actually do some work tonight, and let me get back to mine?"

The wrestler laughed, and jumped down from the vanity table, offering his hand to Charlotte to help her off the stool. "I suppose I better. Just promise me, you'll quit singing or I'll have to put you in a headlock or something."

"Alright," she agreed with a cheeky smile, as she took Jericho's hand, and walked across the floor with him. "Just don't sneak up on me again."

"I promise," he replied, with a grin of his own, as he pulled Charlotte closer to him and into a tight embrace. "See you later sexy."

"Not if I catch you first, doofus," teased Charlotte, returning the hug, and allowing her fingers to curl around Jericho's hair.

The wrestler lifted the blonde off her feet, span her around, and then set her back on the floor. Then, with one last wink, Jericho strode off along the corridor.

The make up artist grinned stupidly to herself, turned her I-pod back on and grabbed her broom. However, as she danced and cleaned, not a single song escaped her lips.

* * *

Returning with Paulo to the hotel, Charlotte looked around for Maria, Candice and Kelly. The blonde wanted to see her friends before getting ready for diner.

The divas appeared, all looking at the make up artist expectantly.

"All set for your date later?" asked Maria, as she embraced the blonde.

"It is not a date," insisted Charlotte, with a fake pout. "But yeah, I'm going to shower and change in a minute."

"Have you decided what you're wearing?" asked Kelly, as she and Candice came to join Maria, Paulo and Charlotte.

"No, I haven't given it much thought," she replied, with a shrug. "I figured I'd have a look through my suitcase, and make up my mind when I get out of the shower."

"Charlotte Louise Robinson!" exclaimed Paulo. "You're going on a date with the guy of your dreams, and you haven't decided what you're wearing? I'm ashamed!"

"I told you, it isn't a date. We're going out to have cheeseburgers and fried chicken, there won't be a candle lit table in sight," Charlotte reminded her friends again.

"Whatever you say, Charlie," teased Maria in a sing-song-voice.

"Oh, get lost," said Charlotte facetiously. "Right, I'm going to shower and change, before y'all make me late for my date."

The blonde had intentionally used the words, and relished the scandalized looks it drew from her friends.

"Call us later and let us know what happened?" shouted Candice, as the make up artist made her way to the elevator.

"Will do!" she called back, and then headed up to her floor.

Entering her room, Charlotte flung her suitcase onto her bed, threw it open and grabbed a towel, robe and strawberry scented shower-gel.

She was grateful to discover Ashley had been kind enough to leave her some hot water, before the camera girl headed out for the night herself.

After showering and washing her hair, the blonde began looking through her suitcase for an outfit to wear. Despite her insistence it wasn't a date, Charlotte wanted to look good, and not turn up in some old jeans and a t-shirt. Finally, she decided on her favourite pair of skinny fit jeans, the baby-pink sweater vest, she'd brought when out shopping with Ellie and few weeks ago, and her much loved pink pumps.

Charlotte finished off her outfit with chunky accessories, in the same shade as her sweater vest, straightened her hair, grabbed her purse and was almost ready to go. The blonde quickly reapplied her clear lip-gloss, spritzed herself with strawberry scented body spray, and pulled on her denim jacket. Then, she doubled checked she had the key-card to her hotel room with her, and headed out the door.

The make up artist strode to the elevator, humming softly to herself, jumped in and rode down to the hotel lobby.

Waiting for her near the reception desk was Chris Jericho, and he'd never looked better. He was wearing a short-sleeved black shirt, with the top three buttons undone, a simple silver chain hanging around his neck, and stone washed blue jeans.

The wrestler grinned as Charlotte strode to meet him, and crossed the floor to join her in the middle of the lobby.

"You look pretty," he complimented, in way of a greeting, appraising the make up artist thoughtfully. "And you smell of strawberries too."

"Thanks," replied Charlotte with a slight blush, as she laced her fingers though his. "You look quite good yourself."

"Quite good? Baby, I'm a sexy beast," he said facetiously. "Do you now how long it took me to get my hair like this?"

"From the looks of it, about five minutes I'd say," she teased, reaching up a hand and allowing it to brush through his blond locks.

"Women," muttered Jericho. "Right, shall we get going, then? I'm starving."

Charlotte laughed as they headed out of the hotel. "Chris, you're always hungry," she reminded, with a grin.

Hand in hand, they walked the block to the diner, and settled into a cozy seating booth near the window. Moments later, a waitress appeared.

"What can I get y'all?" she drawled in her Southern accent.

"A cheeseburger, fries and a strawberry milkshake, please," said Jericho immediately, without even looking at the menu.

The waitress nodded, took the order and turned to Charlotte, "And you, sugah?"

"Can I have a portion of fried chicken, fries and a glass of coke – no ice – please?" she asked.

Again, the woman nodded, wrote down the order, and then headed back over to the counter, where she called through the meals to the kitchen, and got the drinks.

Less then a minute later, she returned and placed the milkshake and glass of coke, along with cutlery and condiments on the table in front of Charlotte and Jericho.

"Thanks," said Charlotte, taking a sip of her coke.

The wrestler swirled his milkshake with the straw, and gazed across the table at Charlotte.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked finally, after Charlotte had been scrolling through her cell phone for few minutes.

"Well, I thought you might want to see this," she replied, slipping her phone across the table to him. "Just don't laugh too hard."

Jericho took the cell from the table, as he sipped his milkshake, and eagerly watched the video Charlotte had set up on her phone for him.

Two minutes later, he looked up at her, and laughed so much he almost chocked on his drink.

"Where did you get that?" he asked, with a grin, of the video Charlotte had just shown him. It depicted her sixteen-year-old self, on the night of the biggest High School football game of the year. The blonde had been head cheerleader, and had pulled off a performance of a life time.

"I remembered you saying you wanted to see me cheer-leading, so I asked Ellie to find the video my dad had saved of that match, transfer the file on her laptop, and then send it to my cell," explained Charlotte with a smile.

Jericho beamed at her and then said, "Well, it was certainly worth the wait. You were awesome, and now I understand how you got to be such a great dancer. Why did you give it up? Or how come you never considered taking dance at college? I mean, you could have become a professional, maybe even a back-up dancer for big-name bands and things."

Charlotte shrugged, and slipped her cell back into her purse. "I don't know really. Cheer-leading was something I loved doing, but I only ever saw dancing as a hobby, not something I could do make a career out of. Right from a young age, I wanted to be just like Mama, and be a make up artist. She owned her own beauty salon and I virtually grew up in there. As soon as I could walk and talk, I could also hold a make up brush. It was second nature to me, and despite how good I was at cheer-leading and dancing, it never even crossed my mind to do something else," she explained.

"I guess some things are just in the blood," commented Jericho. "My dad was an ice hockey player, and in High School, I was too. Everyone assumed I'd go on to do the same, but the wrestling bug had bitten me by then, and nothing else mattered."

"Your brother plays hockey though, doesn't he?" asked Charlotte, remembering a conversation they'd had a few weeks ago. "Anyways, I bet when your parents' saw you wrestle, they were dead proud of you."

Jericho nodded his head, and smiled. "Yeah, Evan does, I'm surprised you even remember me telling you that, it was weeks ago," he confirmed. "Yeah, when my parents realized how much I loved wrestling, they supported me one-hundred percent."

"That's great. I don't think Ellie, CJ or I would be where we are now if our folks hadn't been behind us. It's always great when parents want what you want," she mused thoughtfully, as she finished off her glass of coke.

"Yeah, I couldn't agree more. I just hope I can offer Abby the same support, but you know, it's hard for me being away from her so much," sighed Chris.

"I bet it is, but you're doing a great job with her. She's a fantastic girl, and you should be very proud of how well you're raising her. Some children in her situation – with you and Debby divorced, and you on the road so much – would have gone off the rails, but Abby hasn't," commented Charlotte with a warm smile.

"Thanks Charlie, that really means a lot to me," grinned Chris, as he reached out a grabbed her hand.

"Hey, I'm not saying anything that isn't true," insisted Charlotte, brushing the wrestler's fingers with her own.

"Oh yeah, that reminds me, I've got the photos from her school party," he said suddenly, pulling a small folder of pictures from his pocket, and sliding them across to the blonde.

The make up artist appraised the photos with eager eyes, thrilled at seeing how beautifully Abby had turned out for the night of her party.

The young eleven-year-old could be seen wearing the t-shirt Charlotte had given her, along with the jeans she'd picked up from GAP when she'd gone shopping with the older blonde and divas. Her long golden hair was crimped and she's attached small diamond like clips to it in various places. Abby's make up looked applied to perfection, shimmery silver eye-shadow accentuating her crystalline eyes, a light blush giving her a rosy glow, and clear lip-gloss plumping her mouth slightly. All in all, the young girl looked a lot older than her eleven years, and Charlotte could see why the other girls had been jealous of her.

"Oh, they're beautiful," Charlotte grinned, gazing lovingly at the pictures. "I bet you're really proud of her."

"Yeah, I really am," Chris replied with a beaming smile of his own. "And I have you to thank for how amazing she looks."

"It was nothing, I'm just working with the gorgeous features she inherited from you," shrugged Charlotte sheepishly.

"I'm being serious, Charlie. Being a guy, I don't have a clue about this type of stuff, and Debbie never has time for it. Abby said to me, if it hadn't been for you, she'd have gone to the party looking like an idiot. She told me to let you know how eternally grateful she is," he insisted with a warm smile, once again taking the blonde's hands in his. "And so am I. Abby's my baby girl; she means the world to me, and the fact that you care about her so much means everything to me. Some chicks wouldn't care less that I have a daughter, let alone spend so much time with them, but you lavish attention on her without asking for anything in return."

The blonde blushed deeply, and felt herself growing very warm, "I told you, it was nothing," she murmured again.

"It wasn't nothing, and you know that," he protested. "That's why I want you to keep some of these pictures. I know Abby would like you to, and so would I."

"Thanks," smiled Charlotte, sheepishly returning her attention to the pack of photos in front of her. Picking out one full length picture of Abby grinning happily, and another of the young blonde embracing her father, the make up artist looked up and asked, "Is it ok is I keep these ones, then?"

"Sure, keep whichever ones you want," replied Chris with a smile.

"Thanks," grinned Charlotte, slipping the two photos into her purse. "So, any more thoughts about what we can do when I visit over Christmas?"

"Well, I was thinking, Abby and I could meet you on Thursday night after the last houseshow before the holidays – maybe grab some dinner. Then I figured we'll be pretty tired from travelling on Friday – and my mum is insisting on making a fuss because we have guests – so we'll have to have dinner with them. Then I was thinking, on Saturday, there's a fair in town, with an ice skating rink and everything, so how about we spend the day there?" he suggested.

"Sounds perfect," grinned Charlotte.

The couple then fell into an amicable silence, as their food arrived, and they both started eating.

The wrestler had been right; this was the best fried chicken the make up artist had ever tasted, even surpassing her own mother's variation on the dish.

"God, that was good," she sighed happily, as she licked her fingers.

"It looks it," replied Chris, taking a sip of his milkshake. "Hey, I was thinking, if you always smell of strawberries, I wonder if you taste as good as them too."

"I dunno, why don't you find out," suggested Charlotte facetiously, leaning across the table and pouting her lips.

The wrestler smirked, and then moved closer to the blonde, brushing his lips with hers.

Charlotte was momentarily stunned to feel Chris' lips pressed against her own; she honestly didn't think he'd actually go through with kissing her. However, seconds later, all thoughts left the make up artist's head, as her eyelids fluttered shut, and her whole body tingled. She'd been wrong; there was something that tasted better than the fried chicken.

However, seconds later, she was taken aback, when the contact ceased, and Jericho pulled away.

"Nope, you just taste like chicken to me," he teased, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"Humph," muttered Charlotte, taking a long swig of her coke. "Well, you'll be getting no more kisses from me."

"Oh, come on, I was just kidding," insisted Chris with a slight pout. "Come one, lemme try again."

"Nah-ha, buster, you only get one kiss a night from me," said Charlotte facetiously. "So don't complain to me because you've messed your chance up."

"Tease," he joked.

"A tease I may be, but you'll be back for more," she insisted with a mischievous wink.

"Of course," agreed Chris with a wink of his own, before the couple both burst out laughing.

As they calmed down, and Charlotte wiped a tear from her eyes, the waitress appeared to collect their dirty plates.

"Can I get y'all anything else?" she asked in her Southern drawl.

"Yes please, what have you got for dessert?" inquired Charlotte hopefully.

"We have apple pie and ice cream, chocolate fudge cake with whipped cream or cinnamon rolls and yogurt," the server informed.

"Oh, cinnamon rolls," Charlotte squealed in delight. "I'll take a portion of those, and another coke please."

The other woman nodded her head, wrote down the order and then turned to Jericho.

"And what can I get you, darlin'?" the waitress queried.

"I'll have the same please, with another strawberry milkshake," he answered.

"Coming' right up, sugah," the server returned with a wink, as she sauntered back to her work station.

"You know, I think that waitress is hoping to take _you_ home for dessert" teased Charlotte.

Jericho made a face, and then pretended to be busy with his phone when the waitress returned with their order.

The couple continued chatting over dessert, discussing what would happen when Charlotte was finally contacted again about her fight with Beth Phoenix.

"You know, I'm kinda scared I'm gonna be called to Vince McMahon's office or something," Charlotte confessed sheepishly.

"Nah, McMahon wouldn't get his hands dirty over something as small as two employees fighting," assured Chris. "You'll probably have to see The Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Carlotta McIntyre."

"What's she like? Have you ever had to see her?" inquired Charlotte anxiously, starting to feel very nervous about the whole situation.

"Yeah, I did once. She's a very stern and intimidating woman, not someone you'd want to mess with," he informed, and then seeing the make up artist's face turn pale, added, "But don't worry, you'll be fine. You've done absolutely no wrong and I'm sure Carlotta McIntyre will realize that."

"What if she doesn't though? And Beth makes up a pack of lies about me," sighed Charlotte, with downcast eyes. "I could lose my job because of her."

"Charlie, chill, you're not going to lose your job," protested Chris, taking hold of her trembling hands. "Valerie Ford will have already filled a report about how Beth reacted towards you when your probation was reduced. Besides, there's my official complaint against her, and I'm sure if you need it, your friends will come forwards with evidence of Beth's abuse towards you too."

"I guess," Charlotte agreed finally. "I just wish they'd hurry up and get the whole thing over though. I think waiting is actually the worst part."

"I know it is, but in a case like this, they've got to be thorough," insisted Chris, lightly rubbing Charlotte's fingers.

"Yeah, I suppose, and it'll all be worth it if it gets Beth off my case," she sighed, pulling her hands away and shoving them in her pockets. "You know, it's getting kinda late, and I'm feeling tired. Do you wanna head back to the hotel?"

"Yeah, ok, but only if you swear to me you're not going to just go back to your room and worry yourself sick over this whole thing," he returned, looking at the make up artist with concern.

"Yes, I promise, I'll stop thinking about it now," insisted Charlotte. "I'll take a bath to relax me, and then head to bed."

"Ok, but make sure you call me or something if you can't sleep?" asked Chris, as they both rose from their seats and he threw a handful of bills on the table to pay for the meal.

"Of course," returned Charlotte with a smile, as she took his out stretched hand, and they left the diner. "And thanks. Not just for dinner, but for listening to me whine too."

"Anytime, babe," he assured, placing a light kiss on the blonde's forehead.

The couple walked back to the hotel in comfortable silence, Charlotte – despite her promise – still thinking about her fight with Beth and what ramifications it would have on her future within the WWE.

When they reached the lobby, Jericho insisted on riding up to the blonde's floor with her, and seeing her to her room.

"You gonna be ok?" he asked, as Charlotte leant back against her door.

"Uh-huh," she replied with a nod of her head. "I'm sure after a good night's sleep I'll be feeling much better."

"Yeah, things always seem worse at night, when you're over tired," agreed Chris, taking the blonde's hands and pulling her close to him.

With the top of her head tucked under his chin, Charlotte wrapped her arms around Jericho's waist.

They stood in silence, their bodies intertwined for a few moments, the make up artist's eyes feeling heavy and then finally fluttering closed.

"Come on, Charlie, go get some rest," Chris whispered in her ear, as he tilted her head up to face him.

"Ok," she mumbled in reply, brushing her hair from her tired eyes. "Thanks again for tonight; I had a really great time."

"Me too, Princess," returned Chris, cupping her cheeks in his hands and kissing her lightly on the forehead.

Charlotte's eyes widened and she looked at the Canadian quizzically. "Princess?" she questioned.

"Yeah, you're my Princess," he insisted with a smile.

The blonde blushed, turned her head away sheepishly, and tried to locate her keycard, which turned out to be impossible, as the wrestler still had his arms wrapped tightly around her.

Shrugging out of his embrace, Charlotte finally managed to get her hotel door open and stumbled sleepily back into the room.

"Night, night," she said softly, lingering just on the threshold.

"Yeah, sweet dreams," Chris wished, closing the gap between them again and once more kissing her on the forehead.

"You too," returned Charlotte, again allowing her arms to wrap around Jericho's waist.

Finally, after a few moments more of embracing, the couple broke apart, and the blonde softly closed her hotel door. Then, feeling uncommonly exhausted, Charlotte changed into her pyjamas, climbed into bed, and fell straight into a deep sleep.


	18. Not A Big Deal?

**Author's Notes:** I'd like to thank **sweetantidote, littleone999, SummerRain173, Westfan, Fozzy-Floozy, Super T, chnoelle, jeffhardyfan722, jeffhardyfan722, Alkira Sonoma, annskieesofresh, AshMattXoXo, purplefeather21, Rheya-Goddess **and ** extremeshan81** for your awesome reviews! I cannot tell you how much all your comments and support means to me! I'm eternally grateful!!

Additionally thanks to Gin (Disco Inferno1, USER ID: 339498) and Karen (IMissPadfoot, USER ID: 1133633) for your help with this chapter. You girls are the best!

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen: Not A Big Deal?**

The following day, Charlotte had little time to contemplate her date with Jericho the previous night, or anything else for that matter. As soon as the blonde arrived at the arena for work, personal assistant, Natasha Greenfield, approached her saying that Carlotta McIntyre wanted to see her straight away.

The make up artist blanched in fear and made her way to the Senior Vice President of Human Resources' office, all the way there wondering if this would be her last day as an employee of the WWE.

Coming to a halt outside Carlotta McIntyre's workstation, Charlotte was unsurprised – but antagonized - to see Beth Phoenix already waiting there.

The diva looked haughtily at the blonde, and then with a sneer distorting her already harsh features, said, "I hope you've packed your bags already, piglet, because once I'm done in there, you'll be out on your ass."

The make up artist simply averted her eyes from Beth, and pretended that the painting of a summer meadow hanging on the wall was the most interesting thing she'd ever seen.

After five minutes of long, uncomfortable silence – during which time every little sound seemed to echo throughout the deserted hallway – the office doors finally opened, and a woman with steely grey hair was standing on the threshold.

Charlotte looked up into the cold, black eyes of Carlotta McIntyre, and if it was possibly, turned even paler.

Jericho had been right in his description of the Senior Vice President of Human Resources; she did look very foreboding and unwelcoming.

"Miss Phoenix, Miss Robinson, please come inside," she said in a cold voice, that some how sounded ageless, despite the woman's apparent venerableness.

Wondering how such a baleful woman could possibly feel benevolence towards her current plight, the blonde swallowed, and found her mouth uncommonly dry.

She entered the office, Beth sauntering in behind her, and waited to be told that she could take a seat. When Carlotta McIntyre invited them to do so, both women sat down.

"Ladies, as I'm sure you both know, you've been summoned here today, because certain claims and accusations have been made about your conduct in recent weeks," informed the Senior Vice President of Human Resources. "It is my decision to speak to both of your together, and then individually, before I make my final judgment on what should be done about the situation."

Charlotte and Beth both nodded their heads, and so Carlotta McIntyre continued speaking.

"Am I correct in understanding that, you Miss Phoenix, filled a formal complaint regarding Miss Robinson's actions against you and an incident of physical abuse?" she asked.

"Yes, Ma'am," replied Beth simply. Charlotte assumed she would leave out the lies and fabrications until her individual interview, where no one would be around to challenge them.

"And is it also correct, Miss Robinson, that Chris Jericho filled a complaint against Miss Phoenix, claiming your attack on her was the result of verbal provocation, and further more that Miss Phoenix has been taunting you personally for a number of months?" the old woman questioned.

"Yes, Ma'am," replied Charlotte honestly.

"Very well," said the Senior Vice President of Human Resources. "I will now interview you each individually. Miss Phoenix, if you'd like to remain here, and Miss Robinson, you can take a seat outside."

"Ok," mumbled Charlotte, rising from her chair, exiting the office and returning to wait in the silent and unused corridor.

The blonde didn't know whether to be relieved or worried that Carlotta McIntyre had asked to speak with Beth first – not knowing weather this would allow the diva to twist everything, so that no matter what she said in her own interview, she would appear in a bad light. Or if, by some miracle, Beth acted up so badly, that Charlotte wouldn't need to say much more to prove she was the victim in this whole situation.

With nothing to do in the deserted hallway, but sit and await her fate, the make up artist pulled out her cell. She was happily surprised to see that she had a number of text messages waiting for her.

The first was from Paulo, saying that Natasha Greenfield had informed him where Charlotte was, and that he hoped everything went well for her. The following three were from Candice, Kelly and Maria, again wishing the blonde all the best in her interview with the Senior Vice President of Human Resources. Opening the final message, Charlotte's heart raced when she saw it was from Jericho.

_Hey Princess,_

_Candice told me you'd been called into your hearing and I just wanted to let you know I'm thinking of you._

_I'm sure everything will be fine, and soon enough Beth will be out on her ass._

_Call me when it's over to let me know you're ok?_

_Chris xx_

The blonde read the message over three times, taking in every tiny detail of the words. He'd called her Princess again, she noted happily to herself. Additionally, the two kisses attached to his name made the make up artist momentarily forget she was moments away from facing the biggest challenge of her working career. All she could think about was the night before, when their lips had met, and how good it felt. A strange feeling began to form in Charlotte's stomach, and she actually worried for a moment that she was going to be sick.

Just as the blonde was about to stand up, and go in search of a restroom, the office doors swung open, and Beth stalked out of them.

Despite the diva's apparent hasty departure, Carlotta McIntyre looked unperturbed by the occurrence, her demeanour still as steely as it had been before.

"Miss Robinson, if you'd like to step inside again, please," she said in the same ageless voice.

Charlotte nodded, rose from her chair and entered the workstation, the Senior Vice President of Human Resource closing the door softly behind them.

At the request of the older woman, the blonde took a seat, and the questioning began.

"Miss Robinson, if you may, could you tell me when Miss Phoenix's attacks against you began?" she inquired.

"About a year ago, as soon as Beth was brought up from OVW. My friends and I tried to welcome her into our social circle, inviting her out with us after work. However, Beth rejected the offer, and since then has been taunting me on every chance she's had," answered Charlotte honestly.

Carlotta McIntyre nodded, made a note on the pad in front of her, and then asked the next question. "And can you kindly tell me the nature of the attacks against yourself?"

"Mostly, it's nothing more than school like teasing. Beth will call me a name, or insinuate that I'm fat or ugly.

Occasionally, when we've been in a night club or something, she'll deliberately bump into me," informed the Charlotte.

"And how do you retaliate to these attacks?" pressed the older woman.

"Usually, I'll just tell Beth to get lost and leave me alone. Maybe sometimes I'll mutter something under my breath, but never anything more than that," replied Charlotte evenly.

"Why is it that you've never felt the need to report these occurrences of verbal abuse against you?" inquired the Senior Vice President of Human Resource, penetrating Charlotte with a steely stare.

"It's just childish teasing; I didn't really feel they were important enough to make a big deal out of. Beth hasn't ever done anything to physically harm me, and her taunts don't stop me carrying out my duties for work. I didn't want to seem immature or anything by reporting it, and hoped Beth would just grow bored of teasing me, and the situation would blow over," Charlotte answered, truthfully.

Carlotta McIntyre again made some notes on her pad, and then said, "So, tell me about the last fight you and Miss Phoenix had. What made this occasion different from previous times Beth has taunted you? What caused you to retaliate violently towards her?"

"Well, that day I was under a certain amount of personal pressure," Charlotte started to explain evenly. "Something had happened to me – which I don't want to go into now, as I feel it has no relevance to mine and Beth's fight – and I wasn't in the best of moods. I'd already had one encounter with Beth that day, where she had taunted me about my personal problems, so when she appeared for a second time, I wasn't after a repeat performance. However, before I'd even had the chance to tell Beth to leave me alone, she started mocking me about my private issues. I asked her to go away, but she kept pushing and pushing the matter. Finally, I snapped, and my temper got the better of me. I know I shouldn't have reacted with violence, but my nerves were already fraught, and I couldn't endure much more."

"I see," said the other woman coldly. "And how did you feel after the fight?"

"I was annoyed and ashamed with myself for losing my cool," insisted Charlotte. "I knew I'd reacted unprofessionally, and I regretted it."

"Ok," the Senior Vice President of Human Resource said again, making another note in her pad. "Now can you tell me how you felt when Valerie Ford called you to her office, informed you that Miss Phoenix had made an official complaint against you, and placed you on six months probation?"

"Well, obviously, at first I was annoyed that Beth had twisted the situation around," confessed Charlotte, wondering if the admittance was the right thing to say. "However, I knew that I'd acted in an unacceptable way, and I agreed with the punishment I'd been given. I felt it was only deserving, and it would give me the perfect opportunity to keep out of Beth's way from then on."

"Very well," returned the older woman, again looking coldly across the table at Charlotte. "Now can you tell me what happened afterwards? Did you speak to Miss Phoenix about the incident? What did you say to your friends about what had happened? And how did Chris Jericho come to make a complaint about Miss Phoenix the following day?"

"I didn't approach Beth about our fight; I felt there was no need. She'd made a complaint about me, and I'd been suitably punished. Additionally, I felt anything I did say to Beth would only be twisted and used against me," replied Charlotte. "I told my friends about what had happened though, as any group of companions would. We went out for dinner, and Chris was with us. They all agreed how Beth had treated me was unfair, but said hopefully, this would be the end of it now."

"And did you ask Mr. Jericho to make a complaint against Miss Phoenix on your behalf?" pressed Carlotta McIntyre.

"No, of course not," insisted Charlotte. "All I did was tell him what had happened because of the fight. He'd been there when Beth and I fought, and he'd witnessed what had happened between us. Additionally, Chris had seen other occasions where Beth has taunted me, so he took it upon himself to make the complaint. Why he did it? Well, you'd have to ask him that yourself."

The Senior Vice President of Human Resource nodded curtly, made some more notes on her pad, and then said, "Now, Miss Robinson, can you tell me about the nature of your relationship with Mr. Jericho?"

Charlotte was momentarily taken aback by the question, not really seeing the relevance of it in regards to her fight with Beth. Additionally, it took the blonde some time to formulate the right answer.

The simplest response would have been that they were friends, but the make up artist knew that wasn't quite true. They were more than friends, but what exactly they were, she didn't really know.

At last, she said, "We're friends. We hang out after work sometimes, and I occasionally watch Chris' daughter for him."

Carlotta McIntyre gave the blonde a look that clearly said she thought she was lying, but didn't press the matter further. In stead, she inquired, "What happened after Mr. Jericho's complaint against Miss Phoenix had been made, and Valerie Ford called you back into her office to reduce your probation and punish Beth?"

"Well, of course I was shocked," answered Charlotte honestly. "But I was pleased too; I was happy Beth wasn't going to get away with her role in the incident, and hoped that her being put on probation would bring an end to the matter."

"And did it?" pressed the other woman, piecing the blonde with her cold black eyes.

"No, it didn't. As soon as Valerie Ford had informed us of the new punishments, Beth went insane. She accused me of asking Chris to make the complaint about her, and then she verbally insulted me, in front of Valerie Ford," informed Charlotte.

"Very well," returned the Senior Vice President of Human Resource, making one final note of Charlotte's answers. "I think that is all the questions I have for now. Miss Robinson, I thank you for your honesty and co-operation. You'll hear from me in due course about the matter, and my judgment on it. Until then, your punishment from Valerie Ford remains. You're now dismissed."

"Thank you, Ma'am," replied Charlotte, unable to pick up anything from Carlotta McIntyre's tone or body language to indicate how the interview had gone.

With a nod of her head, Charlotte left the office quickly, and made her way to the beauty area of the arena to begin her day's work.

When she arrived there, Paulo, Candice, Maria and Kelly were waiting for her.

"So, how did it go?" the all asked in unison.

"Honestly, I don't know," Charlotte replied with a shrug. "She asked me a lot of questions, mostly about my relationship with Beth and our fight. She made notes throughout, and then said I'd hear from her in due course about the matter, and her judgment on it. I don't know what to make of any of it though; she's a damn hard woman to read."

"Yeah, tell me about it," agreed Candice. "I had to see her about something once."

"Did you see Beth? How did she react?" inquired Kelly.

"Yeah, I did. We both had to speak to Carlotta McIntyre together first, and then Beth's individual interview was before mine. I didn't say anything to her, but she made some taunt about me getting fired before the meeting began, and she seemed to storm out of the office after her consultation," informed Charlotte.

"Well, that's a good sign, isn't it?" suggested Maria hopefully. "I mean, that could indicate Beth lost her temper in there."

"Again, I don't know," returned Charlotte with a shake of her head, as she rubbed her hands across her eyes – she could feel a head ache coming on. "It could all have been just for show. I wouldn't put anything past Beth."

"Damn right," insisted Paulo. "If she's capable of claiming you attacked her without provocation, then I don't doubt she'd try to get into your head now as well."

"Yeah, me either," agreed Charlotte with a deep sigh, as she flopped back onto the stool. "I guess all I can do is hope for the best, and wait until I hear from Carlotta McIntyre."

"Yeah, but at least something is being done about the matter," commented Candice.

"I suppose so," shrugged Charlotte, idly picking up a pallet of eyeshadow and playing with it.

A few moments of silence passed, where none of the friends really had anything the say. Tension so thick it could have been cut with a knife was hanging in the air, and the only way it was ever going to get any better was once Charlotte had heard back from the Senior Vice President of Human Resource.

Finally, Maria broke the silence by asking, "So, how did dinner go with Chris last night?"

"It was good," Charlotte shrugged. "We had a nice time."

The blonde's friends looked at her aghast, unbelieving that this was all Charlotte had to say on the matter.

The truth was, she had been thinking about last night - a lot. However, with her career hanging in the balance, contemplating her feeling for Jericho was the last thing she needed to do right now. Charlotte half wished she could get the feel of his lips pressed against hers out of her head. Simply thinking about the Canadian again had made the make up artist feel dizzy and a knot had formed in her stomach.

"Did something happen last night?" pressed Candice. "Because, earlier, when I went to tell Chris that you'd been called into your meeting, he was acting strangely too. You guys haven't fallen out have you?"

"No, no, it's nothing like that," insisted Charlotte. "Something did happen between us last night, and well now, I'm not quite sure what to make of it."

The three divas and hairstylist all raised their eyebrows questioningly, and so, the blonde continued.

"Well, the thing is, we kind of kissed last night," she informed, and when her friends gasped she forestalled them. "No, no, wait, it wasn't like that, or at least I don't think it was. Chris asked me if I tasted of strawberries, because I always smell like them, so I told him why doesn't he kiss me to find out. I was only messing around; I honestly didn't expect him to kiss me back and then he did. It can't have been that bigger of a deal to him, though, because then he just joked that I didn't taste of strawberries, and said nothing more."

"Not that bigger deal?" exclaimed Maria in shock. "He kissed you for God's sake. How is that not a big deal?"

Charlotte shrugged, and looked away sheepishly. "Like I said, we were both just messing around. It would have been different if it was a romantic good-night kiss at the end of the evening; but it wasn't."

"Oh for crying out loud, Charlotte, are you really this clueless?" questioned Paulo in annoyance. "That is so guy talk for 'I think you're hot and wanna get together with you'. You cannot possibly tell me you don't realize that?"

"Oh, I don't know," wailed Charlotte, covering her face with her hands. "I don't know anything anymore. All I can think about is the feel of his lips on mine and it's driving me insane. Why do men have to be this ambiguous? Why can't they just be straight up about what they're thinking and feeling?"

"Oh, you mean like you are," mocked Kelly. "You haven't exactly been forthcoming about your feelings either, you know."

"And what the hell do you expect me to say to him? I don't even know myself," Charlotte back angrily. "Can we just drop it, ok? I have a million things on my mind; what with this fight with Beth, and the chance I could lose my job, I cannot be dealing with some guy who acts all mysterious with me right now."

The others feel silent, knowing full well the pressure of recent events were getting to their friend, and she just needed some time and space to sort her head out.

After wishing Charlotte the best again, and insisting the blonde called them the minute she heard back from the Senior Vice President of Human Resource, Candice, Kelly and Maria headed back to the women's locker room.

The rest of the make up artist's evening passed quietly and uneventfully, Paulo and the blonde working in silence for once.

Fifteen minutes before the show was due to end, just as the two beauty employees were packing everything away, Natasha Greenfield appeared once more. The personal assistant informed Charlotte that Carlotta McIntyre wanted to see her right away.

Charlotte turned as white as a ghost, and looked, for a moment, as though she was about to faint.

"Well, I guess this is it then," she said gulping down what little air she could get into her lungs.

With her head bowed, and downcast eyes, Charlotte made her way to the Senior Vice President of Human Resource's office, her heart beating so rapidly, it almost broke a hole in her chest.

As the make up artist expected, Beth Phoenix was also waiting outside the work station. However, this time the diva had no cutting taunts, and actually looked almost as pale as the blonde did.

Less then a minute later, Carlotta McIntyre opened the door, and ushered both women inside the office.

After telling them both to take a seat, the older woman began to speak.

"Miss Phoenix, Miss Robinson, after your interviews today, I have been looking over the notes your answers provided me with. Additionally, I have also browsed over your personal files, and taken into account the conduct of each of you during your tenure within the WWE," she informed.

Both women nodded, and so the Senior Vice President of Human Resource continued speaking.

"While it is apparent that both of you have, for the most part, acted professionally during your time with the WWE, it is also obvious that you have issues with each other, which need to be resolved so that you may continue to work to your full potential. Therefore, it is my decision that you both attend moderation session, for the three month period of your probation, with the aim that you reconcile any problems you may have with each other. Failure to attend these meetings or any more instances between the two of you will result in instant dismissal from the company for both of you. However, after twelve weeks, should you have come to an understanding regarding your working relationship, your probation will be lifted and no further action will be made regarding the matter. Do I have your full co-operation?"

Both women nodded, and uttered their agreeance.

"Very well then," said Carlotta McIntyre, the small hint of a smile cracking her thin lips. "In that case, you'll be hearing from Valerie Ford with the date of your first moderation session in due course. Other than that, you're now free to go, and I hope never to see either of your in my office again."

"Yes, Ma'am," replied Charlotte quietly, hardly believing her luck that she still had a job. "Thank you very much for your time."

Then, without another word, or waiting to see Beth's reaction, the blonde left the office and hurried down the corridor on the way back to her work station to tell Paulo the good news. As she did so, the make up artist took out her cell, so that she could text Maria, Candice and Kelly to let them know what had happened to.

Due to not looking where she was going, and her haste to return to the hairstylist, Charlotte walked smack-bang into someone.

"Ok, god, I'm sorry," she muttered, shoving her phone back into her pocket, and then looking up and straight into the blue eyes of Chris Jericho.

The make up artist's heart did some sort of strange flip-flop in her chest, and her legs turned to jelly.

Suddenly, her heart was racing, her mouth was dry, and all that she could think about was the wrestler's lips touching her own.

The Canadian looked at the blonde with an uncertain smile, and asked, "So, how did your meeting with Carlotta McIntyre go? Has she reached a decision yet?"

Gulping for breath and trying to force her brain to remember how to make her lips move so that she could talk, Charlotte just stared blankly at Jericho.

Finally, the rest of her body caught up with her head, and she replied, "Yeah, I've just come out of her office. I'm still on three months probation, Beth and I have to attend moderation sessions together for that period, but other than that, I'm in the clear."

The wrestler's face broke into a broad grin, as he wrapped his arms around the make up artist and lifted her off her feet.

"That's great news, Charlie," he exclaimed happily. "See, didn't I tell you everything would be ok?"

"Erm, yeah, I guess you did," Charlotte replied sheepishly when her feet were back on the floor. Once again, her legs were like jelly, and she'd momentarily lost the ability to speak. "Listen, Chris, I've really got to get going. Paulo is waiting for me, and I need an early night."

"Oh, ok," Jericho mumbled, looking at the blonde with uncertainty. "Well, congratulations and I guess I'll see you in a few days."

"Erm, yeah, sure," Charlotte replied, trying to look anywhere but at the Canadian. "Thanks for everything, I'll see you soon."

Then, without another word, the make up artist hurried off along the corridor, leaving Jericho to stare at her retreating form and wonder what the hell had just happened between them.


	19. Clueless

**Author's Notes: **I'd like to thank **Alkira Sonoma, AshMattXoXo, littleone999, Inday, annskieesofresh, chnoelle, Fozzy-Floozy, Westfan, WWESupernatural102292, Rheya-Goddess, SummerRain173 and Super T** for your awesome reviews! I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update, I've been busy recently, and I really appreciate you guys hanging in there with me.

Additionally thanks to Gin (Disco Inferno1, USER ID: 339498) and Karen (IMissPadfoot, USER ID: 1133633) for your help with this chapter. You girls are the best!

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen: Clueless**

"What's wrong, sugar?" Loretta Mae asked her eldest daughter, as Charlotte slumped into the kitchen and began idly picking at the apple pie that was cooling on the counter-top.

Since returning home on the afternoon of the previous day, the blonde had been in an increasingly strange mood. She'd said little to any of her family members, had hardly eaten anything, and had spent a lot of time alone in her room. Additionally, the make up artist had turned down Ellie's invitation to head to a club on the evening of her return home.

"Nothing, Mama," insisted Charlotte, pushing away the slice of apple pie that she'd only taken one mouthful from. "You know, I don't think I fancy any dinner tonight, so I'm just gonna head back over the guest house."

The blonde had just reached the back door, when her mother forestalled her.

"Now, just you wait here a minute, Charlie Lou Robinson," called Loretta Mae. "Something is obviously bothering you and I understand if you don't want to talk to me about it. However, you've gotta eat something, and you can't keep locking yourself away in your room. How about, I send your dad to the bar for the evening with his friends, and then you, me and Ellie have a girlie night in? We can rent some DVDs and eat a ton of ice cream."

"Ok, that sounds like fun I guess," shrugged Charlotte in reply.

So, that evening when Ellie returned from her classes, Loretta Mae sent Charles Edward off with a wallet full of money, and the instructions to have a good time and not to come back until late. Then, the former salon owner headed to the store, picked up a collection of movies for her and her daughters to watch, three tubs of ice cream, and ordered out for two large pizzas.

The beauty student had also noticed her older sister's change in mood since the last time they'd seen each other, and knew just what could be bothering Charlotte.

"It's Chris, isn't it? Has something happened between y'all?"

"It's nothing. Honestly, Ellie, I'm fine," insisted Charlotte, making it perfectly clear the topic of conversation was closed.

"Ok, well, you know where I am if you wanna talk about it," returned Ellie with a reassuring smile.

That was just the point though; Charlotte didn't want to talk about it. She was sick to death of taking about, thinking of, and contemplating her feelings for Chris Jericho.

Whenever the blonde was alone, the feel of the wrestler's lips pressed against her own wouldn't leave her head. But what frustrated the make up artist even more was, the fact she didn't know what she wanted. The only thing she felt sure of was the longing ache in her heart to be near the Canadian again, to smell his cologne, to feel the warmth of his embrace, and to taste the ardent sweetness of his mouth on hers.

However, none of that meant anything to Charlotte right now, as she just didn't know if Jericho felt the same. For all she knew, the wrestler could have been playing around when he'd kissed her, and only saw their relationship as platonic. They hadn't even gone out for a proper date – it had just been burgers and fries in some down-town diner; no candle lit tables, bouquets of roses or overly romantic gestures, just simply two friends hanging out and having a good time.

The make up artist had always assumed when she met 'the one', it would be all fireworks and angelic choirs singing. Aside from the burning lust she'd felt since they'd kissed, with her and Jericho it had been none of that.

Disconcerted by the endless questions whirling around in her brain, the blonde vowed to banish all thoughts of the wrestler from her mind, and just try to have a good time with her family.

When Loretta Mae arrived home, the two siblings looked through the DVDs their mother had selected, trying to decide on which to watch first. Finally, Charlotte and Ellie settled with their favourite old classic _Clueless_.

As the popcorn cooked on the stove, the three women gathered on the couch for a night of mindless entertainment, and pigging out. It was just what the make up artist needed to take her mind off Jericho and her feelings towards him.

Half way through the movie, the door bell rang, and Loretta Mae went to answer it.

Discovering that it was the pizza delivery guy with their order, and that she had no more money in her purse, the former salon owner called through to her daughters.

"Can one of y'all lend me some money to pay for the pizzas?" she asked. "I used all of my own in the store, and I only have credit cards left."

"Sure thing, Mama," Charlotte shouted back. "My purse is hanging up in the hallway; just take what you need from there to pay for it."

Loretta Mae rummaged through her daughter's bag, paid the delivery man, and took the two steaming pizzas from him. As she did so, something caught the woman's attention, and she smiled, as she looked at two pictures Charlotte had tucked away with her other personal belongings. One depicted a young, blonde girl of about eleven-year-old, dressed up for a party and wearing a huge grin. The second showed the same smiling child, this time embracing a handsome man, who -from their similarities - could only be the girl's father.

The former salon owner chuckled knowingly to herself, as she slipped the photos back into her daughter's purse. Now Charlotte's strange mood suddenly made sense to her; her eldest daughter was love-sick.

The remainder of the evening passed pleasantly, Charlotte, Ellie and Loretta enjoying each other's company, as well as the chance to relax and not think of anything too serious, like classes or work.

Finally, because of the beauty student having an early start the following morning, they decided to call it a night. Ellie headed up to bed, but the older blonde still seemed a little preoccupied, and so her mother suggested making some hot chocolate to help her relax.

"Thanks for tonight, Mama," Charlotte began. "I had a really great time, and it was good to escape from the real world for a few hours."

"It was nothing, Charlie," insisted Loretta affectionately. "You know I'd do anything to make my babies happy, even if they are all grown up now."

"Well, thanks anyway, I really appreciated it," returned Charlotte.

"So," Loretta began as casually as she could. "I noticed those photos in your purse when I went to pay for the pizza. They're really nice pictures; you must care about that little girl a lot."

"Yeah, I do. I think the world of Abby; she's a great kid," informed Charlotte.

"And her dad?" pressed Loretta.

"We're just friends," Charlotte replied, merely shrugging her shoulders and looking sheepishly away.

"You know, Charlie, back in college, I kept a picture of a male friend in my purse too, and I ended up marrying him," confessed Loretta, hoping this would encourage her daughter to share her feelings.

The trick worked, and the make up artist turned to her mother with wide, doe-like eyes.

"I like him, Mama, a hell of a lot. It's just the thing is, I don't know if he feels the same," she admitted.

"Nonsense, what guy wouldn't like you?" insisted Loretta.

"I don't know, things with Chris and I are different. It's fun, we have a great time together, but it's not what I expected," shrugged Charlotte. "Tell me, when you fell for Dad, was it all fireworks, angelic choirs singing and romantic gestures?"

The older woman laughed, and threw her head back in amusement. "Actually, no it wasn't. I think that type of thing only happens in fairy-tales and romance novels," she confessed.

When the make up artist simply nodded, Loretta continued, "Your dad and I had been friends for a long time before we started dating. I didn't really think of him in that way back then, even after the first time he'd taken me out. All we did was went bowling, and then out for pizza afterwards. It wasn't anything special, but looking back on it now, it was perfect."

The older woman paused for a minute, as the younger blonde laughed, noticing the similarities between her parent's first date, and the evening she'd recently spent with Jericho.

"Mostly, true love isn't something that hits you out of the blue, it's a thing you have to work at and build on. Your dad and I aren't still married after forty years because of soppy candle-lit dinners or stuff like that, it's because we have a solid friendship. No relationship should be judged by the trivial and superficial things; it's how a man treats you and the time you spend together that counts," insisted Loretta.

Charlotte looked thoughtfully at her mother, and nodded her head.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," she agreed, finishing off her hot chocolate. "Thanks for the advice, Mama. I think I'm going to head to bed now, I'm feeling kinda tired, and have some stuff to work out."

"Ok, baby, sleep well," wished Loretta. "And remember, only your heart can tell you what you're feeling inside. Follow that, and you can't go wrong."

The make up artist smiled, placed her dirty mug in the sink, and then headed over to the guest house.

After changing into her flannel pyjamas, Charlotte climbed into bed, and contemplated her mother's words.

Trying desperately to get the kiss she'd shared with Jericho out of her head, the make up artist focused on other aspects of their friendship. She recalled how easy it had been when they'd first met, and compared it to when she'd began dating the only person she'd ever been in love with – Dylan.

The former WWE sound engineer and make up artist had gotten together not long after Charlotte had started working for the wrestling promotion. They met casually in the staff lounge, and hit it off instantly. After a few months of hanging out in larger groups of mutual friends, Dylan had asked the blonde on a date. He'd taken her out for coffee, doughnuts and then they'd browsed a local art gallery. It had been a very simple, but fun first date. The couple had had a lot of time to chat and get to know each other, but still Charlotte didn't fall head over heels for the sound engineer.

It wasn't until their first proper kiss that the blonde knew she was in love with Dylan. It was Valentine's Day, and she'd been expecting him to take her out for a romantic candle-lit dinner.

As it turned out, the sound engineer had forgotten all about the holiday, and had made plans to hang out with his friends. Bitter that he didn't care as much about their relationship as she did, Charlotte went clubbing with Candice and Maria.

However, halfway through the evening, Dylan had shown up. He'd suddenly remembered what day it was, and felt terrible that he hadn't gotten Charlotte anything to show how much he cared.

The sound engineer had raced across town in the pouring rain, finding an angry Charlotte sulking outside the night club. Then with no gift for his girlfriend, and no chance of getting one so late in the night, he did the only thing he could to confess his love for the blonde, and in the middle of the street – with rain thundering down upon them – he'd pulled her into a tight embrace, and kissed her passionately.

From that moment on, Charlotte knew how much Dylan loved her, even if he didn't express it all the time. Their relationship continued to blossom happily for a number of years, the sound engineer caring more about massaging the make up artist's aching feet after a hard day at work, than he did about showering her with expensive gifts.

It was only when the couple began to move in different directions - Charlotte wanting to live together, but Dylan not feeling ready for that type of commitment – that the relationship came to an end.

Looking back on their time together, however, the blonde knew even though things ended badly between herself and Dylan, he really had loved her; it was just he hadn't been ready to take that next step yet.

Then Charlotte thought about all the dates she'd been on in the past few years. Each and every guy had seemed perfect at first, lavishing her with attention and expensive gifts. However, once they'd gotten past the first date, all of them turned out to be different then how they'd seemed to begin with.

The make up artist contemplated this, and realized a lot of men were too fixated on creating a good first impression, by being overly extravagant. The exclusive restaurants, bunches of roses and other tokens took away from the importance of forming a solid friendship before anything else.

Thinking about Maria's growing relationship with Josh, the blonde saw the difference between her friend's situation and how she herself approached dating. The diva hadn't been hung up on where the veterinary surgeon was taking her or what he'd brought for her, but was simply happy to hang out at his house, watching movies.

Then Charlotte contemplated Paulo's feelings for Jeff. The hair stylist wasn't trying to be something he's not to catch the wrestler's attention, and was more concerned about getting to know the real Jeff and forming a friendship with him.

Again, the make up artist's thoughts drifted back to Jericho. Despite their relationship starting off in a very flirtatious way, now a lot of their interaction was in a friendly, joking way. As she'd insisted many times before to Maria, Candice and Kelly, things were easier with herself and Jericho, because he wasn't constantly hitting on her, like Orton did.

Additionally, the blonde had discovered more about the wrestler than any of the men she'd dated in the past few months. She wasn't interested in his status as a WWE superstar, or the fact he was also in a band. What Charlotte liked most about Jericho was that he came across as a normal guy. He talked about Abby, his family, his childhood and what growing up in Winnipeg was like. There was no falseness there with the Canadian, what you saw was what you got.

Thinking about how the wrestler interacted with her, the make up artist realized that he treated her in the same way she did him. Jericho seemed more interested in the blonde's own up bringing and her relationship with Ellie, than he did with making innuendos or suggestions about them sleeping together.

Finally, Charlotte recalled every occasion the Canadian had been there for her when she needed him. Whenever she had a run-in with Beth, or a bad date, Jericho was always there to lift her mood – despite him having his own concerns and stresses in life. In the few months that they'd known each other, they had achieved the same closeness she had with Candice, Kelly, Maria or Paulo.

Her mother's earlier words rang out in the blonde's head -- ' _No relationship should be judged by the trivial and superficial things; it's how a man treats you and the time you spend together that counts._'

And then the realization hit Charlotte; the glaringly obvious fact that had been there all along, and she'd just been too blind to see.

Paraphrasing the words Alicia Silverstone's character had said in the movie the make up artist had watched earlier, she sighed, and though, _I've been so clueless. I am totally butt crazy in love with Chris. _

* * *

The following morning, the fact that Charlotte was in a much better mood than she had been in the recent few days was very apparent to everyone.

For once, the blonde rose exceptionally early and – whistling happily as she did so – made breakfast for all of her family.

"Whoa," said Ellie, sitting down to a huge stack of waffles, scrambled eggs and freshly brewed coffee. "What's gotten into you, Charlie?"

"I'll tell you later," Charlotte replied, as her parents entered the kitchen and sat down at the heavily laden table.

Loretta Mae smiled knowingly, rightly guessing that her eldest daughter had finally figured out what had been bothering her of late.

Charles Edward, not being as close to his daughter so she would confide her inner most feelings to him, simply took his seat with a perplexed but contented expression on his face.

While the blonde wasn't known for her skills in the kitchen, breakfast was one meal she could actually cook well. After all, who could ruin making waffles, eggs and coffee?

The Robinson family happily enjoyed their first meal of the day together and chatting over their plans for the day.

"Your dad and I are going out this evening, so you'll have to cook your own dinner," informed Loretta with a sheepish smile.

What her two daughters didn't know was that this was actually the particular day in the month that former salon owner and her husband had set aside to spend time alone with each other. It was a way for them to maintain the bond they'd cultivated over the last forty years of marriage.

The couple had plans to go out for dinner at a local restaurant, and then afterwards either go dancing or catch a late night movie.

"It's ok, Mama," insisted Ellie. "We'll order out or something."

"Yeah, we're old enough to look after ourselves now," added Charlotte. "Y'all go out and have a good time."

"Thank you, girls," replied Charles, smiling lovingly at his two daughters.

"What time are your classes today, Ellie?" inquired Loretta.

"I have one that starts in two hours, and another in the afternoon," replied Ellie.

"What time do you break for lunch?" questioned Charlotte. "I was thinking we could meet up or something?"

"Around one," informed Ellie. "Why don't you come down to the campus? The food there isn't bad."

"Yeah, ok," agreed Charlotte. "It would be nice to pop in and say 'hello' to some of my old tutors. I bet Mrs. Hopkins still wears that same old blue pullover, doesn't she?"

The other blonde sniggered and nodded her head. "Yeah, every Wednesday. You know, I got her a new one for Christmas last year, but she won't wear it."

The make up artist rolled her eyes, and joined her sister in laughing about the beauty teacher. In reality, both women liked Mrs. Hopkins deeply; she'd taught them a lot and was a wonderful mentor. Their playful teasing was simply because they respected the woman enough to be light-hearted about her sense of style.

"If you're heading out to meet Ellie at lunch time, do you want to run some errands with me before hand?" suggested Loretta. "The campus isn't far from town, and I'd quite like the company."

"Sure thing, Mama," replied Charlotte happily.

After the family had finished breakfast, Ellie went to take a shower and get ready for her classes. Loretta did the washing up, as make up artist headed into the sitting room with her father.

The former little league coach patted the arm of the chair he'd just taken a seat on, and said "Come and join me, baby girl."

The blonde smiled, and happily took the place besides her father.

"I'm glad you're in a better mood today," he began. "I hate seeing your pretty eyes so downcast, and it's always much brighter around here when you smile."

Charlotte giggled at her father's sentimentality, and rubbed his arm affectionately.

"You don't have to worry about me, Daddy," she insisted. "I had some stuff to work out, but after some good advice from Mama, I'm doing a lot better now."

"Glad to hear it; I hate seeing any of my children unhappy," returned Charles with a smile. "And I'm not surprised your mother gave you good counsel. That woman really knows what she's talking about – especially where matters of the heart are concerned."

The blonde momentarily wondered how her father could have known it was romantic problems that had been on her mind, but then figured her mother would have said something to him; they told each other everything after all.

The father and daughter then turned to chatting about the former coach's induction into the Mississippi foot-balling Hall of Fame, until Ellie appeared.

"If you and Mama want a ride to town, I can give you one now?" she offered.

"Sure, that'd be great thanks, Ellie," replied Charlotte. "I'm ready now, so let me just check if Mama is."

The older blonde headed into the kitchen, where Loretta was finishing off the last of the clearing away.

"Ellie's going to class, and she said if we wanted a ride into town with her, we should go now," she informed.

"Ok, sugar. Tell your sister I'll be a few minutes; I've just got to grab my purse," returned Loretta.

Charlotte nodded her head, and made her way back into the sitting room to relay the message to Ellie.

As soon as the three women had all collected their belongings, they said good-bye to Charles, and then got into the younger blonde's car.

It was a quick journey into town - as there was minimal traffic - and soon enough, Charlotte and Loretta were climbing out onto the sidewalk.

"I'll see you at one," Charlotte called to her sister.

"Ok, catch you later, Charlie," Ellie shouted back through the open window.

When the pink VW Beetle pulled away, the blonde turned to her mother.

"So, where are we heading?" she inquired.

"Well, I need to pick up a few groceries, drop a dress in at the tailors to be repaired, and then I promised Janice I'd pop into the salon," Loretta replied.

"Oh great, I haven't seen Janice for so long. I think the last time was when her second grandchild was born," commented Charlotte.

"You know, he's about eighteen months old now," informed Loretta.

"Really? My god, doesn't time fly. What did Monica end up naming him?" questioned Charlotte.

"Jacob, I think. I can never be sure though, as Janice has a whole brood of grandchildren," returned Loretta with a kindly smile.

"Yeah, and she always has some many pictures of them to show you," chuckled Charlotte.

The mother and daughter strolled around town, completing Loretta's errands, and then headed to the salon where Charlotte had practically grown up in, and the older woman use to run.

As always, Janice was pleased to see her former business partner and the make up artist. She ushered them in with a happy smile, and after asking her assistant to hold the fort, took them into the back room for coffee.

Almost instantaneously, the salon owner jumped into a lengthy discussion about her grandchildren.

"Nathan – that's Rachel's eldest -- just started middle-school. And Joel – Monica's second – is out of diapers now," she explained excitedly.

Both Charlotte and Loretta just nodded their heads happily, smiled and let Janice continue.

After the salon owner had listed every detail of her nine grandchildren's' lives in the past two years, she turned to her former partner with an expectant smile.

"So, when are any of yours going to start having a family?" she questioned, as though the maker up artist wasn't even there.

"Well, CJ and Jeanie are busy with their careers, and Charlotte and Ellie aren't dating at the moment," Loretta protested, looking sheepishly at her daughter who had now gone bright red.

"Oh yes, busy making a name for yourself in the wrestling world, I suppose?" Janice asked, as she turned to the blonde.

"Something like that," she replied. "I'm doing well at work, and as I'm not dating anyone, my career is more important to me at the moment."

"Well, yes, it never hurts to have a good job behind you," agreed Janice. "But don't let your biological clock tick away, Charlotte."

The make up artist nodded her head, and muttered that she wouldn't.

Soon afterwards, Janice was called back into the salon, and Loretta and her daughter were thankful for the chance to leave.

"I'm having a family party in the week between Christmas and New Year's. Y'all will have to come," insisted Janice, as Charlotte and her mother left.

"We'll try to if we have the time," promised Loretta.

When the two women left the salon, they had an hour before the make up artist was due to met Ellie for lunch, so they found a little café to have yet more coffee at.

"God, I'd forgotten how much she rabbits on," chuckled Loretta as she and Charlotte sat down with their drinks. "Sorry about her springing that whole 'having babies' thing on you."

"Oh, don't worry about it," insisted Charlotte with a wave of her hand. "After knowing Janice for most of my life, I'm more than use to it by now."

"Well, given what we were talking about last night, it can't have been what you wanted to hear today," commented Loretta. "Did you get anything sorted out in the end?"

"Yeah, I did, thanks, Mama," replied Charlotte with a sheepish grin.

"Well then, when are you going to tell that handsome young man exactly how you feel about him?" inquired Loretta.

The blonde blushed, giggled and averted her eyes from her mother's expectant gaze momentarily.

"When I see him next, I suppose," she finally replied with a shrug.

"I'm sure everything will be ok, Charlie. Chris would be crazy not to feel the same about you," assured Loretta.

"Thanks, Mama," returned the make up artist with a grin. "I really hope so."

The two women then finished their coffees, before Loretta caught a bus back home and Charlotte walked a block to meet Ellie at her University campus.

Making her way along the familiar hallways, the blonde turned and walked right into her sister.

"You're here early," commented Ellie.

"Yeah, the walk over here was quicker than I remembered," returned Charlotte.

"Right then, what do you want to do first? Visit Mrs. Hopkins or grab some lunch?" inquired Ellie.

"Well, as we're here, let's see Mrs. Hopkins," replied Charlotte.

Nodding her head, the younger blonde led the way along the corridor and to the teacher's office.

After rapping on the door, the two sisters waited for it to be answered, and moments later it was.

"Ellie, how lovely to see you," Mrs. Hopkins exclaimed cheerily. "And you've brought Charlotte with you. How wonderful. Well, come on in girls."

The blondes grinned and entered the office, which looked just the same as it had when the make up artist had last been in there – almost eight years ago.

They took seats, as the teacher fixed them both some ice tea, and then Mrs. Hopkins asked Charlotte how she'd been keeping.

"I'm good, thank you," she replied. "Work is going well."

"I'm glad to hear it, Charlie. You always were an exceptional student and I know you'd go far."

"Thank you," Charlotte replied with a blush. "But I wouldn't be where I am today without all the help you gave me through out the years."

"You're too sweet," chuckled Mrs. Hopkins. "And you, Ellie, looking set to follow in your older sister's footsteps. I couldn't be more proud."

The two blonde's chatted with Mrs. Hopkins for half an hour, promising to visit her more often and then headed to the campus cafeteria to grab some lunch.

As they sat down with their meals, Ellie turned to Charlotte with an expectant look in her eyes.

"So, what's gotten you in such a cheery mood today?" she asked.

"I did a lot of thinking, and worked some stuff out in my head," replied Charlotte.

"Yes?" pressed Ellie eagerly.

"Well, I was thinking about my feelings for Chris, and realized something," explained Charlotte.

"And?" inquired Ellie earnestly.

"I'm in love with him," confessed Charlotte with a sheepish grin.

"I knew it!" squealed Ellie, jumping into the air in excitement. "So, when are you going to tell him? Oh, I just know he feels the same."

"Tomorrow, at work, I guess," shrugged Charlotte. "I dunno, I'm kind of scared to be honest. I haven't felt this way about anyone since Dylan."

"Oh, it'll be just fine," insisted Ellie.

"It better be," teased Charlotte.

**To be Continued ... **


	20. Should it hurt this much to be in love

**Author's notes: **Sorry for the long delay in updating, you know how real life can get sometimes. Hopefully, I'm forgiven, and y'all are still hanging in there with me.

Thanks to **Westfan, annskieesofresh, chnoelle, SummerRain173, Alkira Sonoma, Rheya-Goddess, AshMattXoXo, The Niki Reid, littleone999 **and** purplefeather21 **for your awesome reviews! I'm thrilled you're all still enjoying the story so much, and putting up with my delays in updating. I really appreciate the support guys – y'all rock!!

Additional thanks to Additionally thanks to Gin (Disco Inferno1, USER ID: 339498) and Karen (IMissPadfoot, USER ID: 1133633) for your help with this chapter. You girls are the best!

* * *

**Chapter Twenty: ****Should it hurt this much to be in love?**

Before Charlotte had even returned to work, she had called Candice, Maria, Paulo and Kelly to tell them about how she'd finally realized she was in love with Chris, and her plans to confess her feelings for him.

The divas and hairstylist – after teasing the blonde for taking so long to catch on – were thrilled for their friend, and insisted they all meet before work for lunch and to discuss exactly how the make up artist was going to admit her feelings to the wrestler.

On the morning of her return to work, Charlotte had a quick breakfast with her family – both Ellie and Loretta wishing her the best of luck – and then the older blonde caught a ride to the airport with her younger sister.

"Call me as soon as you've spoken to Chris, okay?" insisted Ellie.

"Of course," returned Charlotte, with a giggle and a blush creeping over her cheeks. With the realization that she was in love, the blonde suddenly felt like a teenager with a crush.

Then, the make up artist headed into the airport and waited for her flight to Atlanta, Georgia. For the duration of the wait, and the flight itself, all the blonde could do was day-dream about what talking to Chris would be like.

She imagined the Canadian replying to her confession by sweeping her off her feet and kissing her passionately.

As she neared the Peach State, Charlotte felt butterflies of excitement forming in her stomach and she had to will herself to calm down and relax.

Once the make up artist had arrived at the hotel, checked in, and dropped her luggage in her room, she called her friends to let them know she'd arrived and arranged to meet them in the restaurant in half an hour's time.

Then, the blonde freshened up, hung her work clothes up in the closet and reapplied her make up.

With an excited spring in her step, Charlotte then headed down to meet Paulo, Candice, Maria and Kelly for lunch.

When the make up artist entered the restaurant, the divas and hairstylist all stood up and cheered.

With a sheepish grin, the blonde approached the table and took the last available seat.

"And about time too," teased Paulo.

"What? My arrival or my realization?" returned Charlotte facetiously.

"Both," joked Maria.

The five friends all burst out laughing, and it wasn't until five minutes later when they'd finally calmed down that they began browsing the menu.

After their meals had been ordered, Charlotte's friends instantly jumped into a torrent of questions.

"So, what finally made the penny drop?" inquired Kelly eagerly.

"A lot of time to think and some good advice from my mum," replied Charlotte.

"Ah, I should have known it was your mum who gave you a push in the right direction," commented Candice with a knowing smile.

"So, have you thought about what you're going to say to Chris when you speak to him?" asked Paulo.

"No, not really. To be honest, I'm scared out of my wits, but I know I've got to tell him how I feel, before I go insane," insisted Charlotte.

"Well, I'm sure everything will go perfectly; after all he is crazy about you," assured Maria.

"I hope so," sighed Charlotte. "But what I'm more worried about is how to tell him. I can't exactly walk over and casually say, 'Oh, by the way, I'm in love with you', can I?"

"And why not?" protested Candice. "Sometimes the simplest way is the most effective."

"I don't know," shrugged Charlotte. "It seems a little crazy I guess."

"No it isn't!" insisted Kelly. "It's romantic!"

The other blonde collapsed into a fit of laughter and shook her head.

"I suppose the right thing will just come to me when I see him," she mused.

"Yeah," agreed Paulo and Maria.

Sadly, Charlotte's optimistic and joyous mood didn't last when she arrived at work. No sooner had the make up artist gotten her kit out and set up for the evening, did Natasha Greenfield appear and summon the blonde to Valerie Ford's office.

As Charlotte correctly assumed, the Manager of Community Relations wanted to speak to her and Beth Phoenix about their moderation sessions. However, the real shock was when the make up artist found the diva waiting outside the office, and the 'Glamazon' didn't have one sneering taunt for her. In fact, Beth actually seemed a little morose.

A few moments later, Valerie Ford ushered both women into her office. Once they'd taken seats opposite her, she explained that, as she was Manager of Community Relations, it would be her duty to carry out the moderation sessions.

Both Charlotte and Beth agreed happily to this, feeling comfortable around Valerie Ford, and relaxed enough to be honest with her.

"Well then, if neither of you have any objections, I'd like to begin today, please?" asked the Manager of Community Relations.

The two blondes nodded.

"Okay, first of all I'd like each of you to take it in turn to express to me what you hope to achieve from these sessions," the older woman continued, and then nodded to Charlotte and Beth.

Trying to create the right impression, the make up artist indicated that the diva should go first.

"I just want Charlotte and me to be able to reach a level where we can co-exist without so much hostility," confessed the 'Glamazon'.

Charlotte was a little shocked and taken aback by this admittance, always assuming Beth enjoyed taunting her.

"I couldn't agree more," she returned. "I just want us to be able to work along side each other, without all this tension always."

"Okay," said Valerie. "And how do you both propose we do this?"

This time it was Charlotte who spoke first, and she said, "Well, I'd like to know why Beth has always been so hostile towards me, when as far as I can see, I never did anything to her."

The Manager of Community Relations looked towards the diva, but she didn't speak and simply nodded her head in agreement.

"Right, well, I think this is enough for now. We don't want to over stretch ourselves on the first session," insisted Valerie. "So, we will continue this next week, where I'll speak to you both individually and then together."

"Okay," the two blondes said in unison.

"Thank you for your time, ladies, and I'll see you in a week," returned Valerie. "You're now free to return to your work."

Without another word, Charlotte and Beth exited the Manager of Community Relations' office, and headed off along the corridor. As they did so, the 'Glamazon' gazed at the make up artist with a peculiar expression the blonde couldn't quite read.

Feeling a little flushed from the meeting with Valerie Ford, Charlotte stopped by the restroom to freshen herself up.

As the blonde splashed cool water onto her face, she heard someone else entering the room, and not feeling in the mood to make small talk with anyone, hid herself in the closest cubicle.

The sound of high pitched, female voices filled the air and it took the make up artist a few moments to pick up the thread of their conversation, so that she could ascertain who it was, and whether it would be safe for her to come out of hiding or not.

"So, when are you going to ask him out?" questioned former diva search contestant Maryse.

"When I see him next, I suppose," replied diva search winner Layla.

"Do you think he'll say yes?" pressed Maryse.

"I hope so," returned Layla. "Because Jericho is way to hot to remain single for a moment longer."

Charlotte froze and her stomach flip-flopped strangely. So, Layla had the hots for Jericho, and was going to ask him out, was she?

The make up artist just prayed she could get to the wrestler first, or that his reply to Layla would be 'no'.

As the blonde heard the restroom door swing shut, she dived out of the cubicle and went in hot pursuit of the divas.

The make up artist followed the former diva search contestants stealthily, trying not to make it obvious she was tailing them.

When Maryse and Layla came to a halt, Charlotte looked around the corridor, to find Jericho standing a few meters away.

The two divas approached him, as the blonde remained concealed from view, but able to hear everything they were saying.

"Hey, Chris," Layla said casually.

"Oh, hi," replied Jericho, looking up from the magazine he'd been reading.

Cutting straight to the chase, the diva search winner asked, "I was just wondering, would you like to have dinner with me sometime?"

Charlotte risked a peek around the corridor, and saw Jericho turn bright red at the suggestion.

"I'm very flattered, Layla," he began, hesitantly. "But I'm going to have to decline. The thing is, I haven't long split up from my ex, so I'm not really looking to date anyone at the moment. I've got my daughter to think about and she's got to come first."

"Oh, okay then. I understand," replied Layla with slightly down-cast eyes. "Well, if you ever change you mind, you know where to find me."

"Erm, yeah, I'll keep that in mind," returned Jericho with a sheepish smile.

The two divas departed, Layla obviously trying to hide the embarrassment of being rejected by holding her head up high. However, Charlotte's face was the perfect picture of dejection, as a single tear ran down her cheek.

Just when the blonde had figured it all out, and was ready to tell Chris that she loved him, in one swift and unexpected move, all her worst fears had been confirmed. Her worries that Jericho wasn't ready to date, and that he needed to put Abby first were correct. He didn't want anyone – not even her.

With tears stinging her eyes, the make up artist slumped sadly against the wall. In a few brief hours, all her excitement and optimism had been reduced to despair and heart ache.

She'd feared all along that something like this was going to happen, and despite the insistence of her friends' saying Chris was obviously crazy about her, Charlotte wasn't surprised to hear that the wrestler wanted to put his daughter first.

Charlotte felt utterly heart-broke, and slightly foolish. She should have know that Chris wasn't ready to date anyone yet, and that his playful flirting had just been him messing around. Wondering how she could have gotten it so wrong, Charlotte let out a deep sigh.

The only thing Charlotte was grateful for was the fact she hadn't gone ahead and confessed her feelings to Chris, knowing she'd have felt completely humiliated when her rejected her.

Finally, pulling herself up from the ground, and rubbing at her eyes, Charlotte tried to get herself together so that she could return to work. However, with every step she took, her heart ached more and more.

When Charlotte finally reached her work station, her head was spinning and she felt as though she might be sick.

Paulo took one look at his friend, and instantly asked, "What's wrong, Charlie? Did something happen with Beth in Valerie Ford's office?"

"What?" questioned Charlotte, momentarily forgetting her meeting with the Manager of Community Relations and the diva. "No, no, that went fine."

"Well, what is it then? Because you look as white as a ghost," insisted Paulo.

"I saw Chris," Charlotte sighed and when the Latino looked at her expectantly she forestalled him. "No, it wasn't good. I'd gone to the restroom to freshen up after my meeting, and overheard Layla talking to Maryse about how she was going to ask Jericho out. So, I followed them, to see what Chris would say. Well, he declined the offer – and confirmed my worst fears – by insisting he wasn't ready to date yet, and needed to put Abby first."

"Oh, honey. Come here," said Paulo, pulling his friend into a tight embrace. "I'm so sorry. But maybe, he just said that because he isn't interested in Layla and just didn't want to hurt her feelings. Perhaps, if you spoke to him though, and told him how you feel, he might react differently? You have been friends for a while, and you get along great with Abby."

"I don't know," shrugged Charlotte. "I don't think I could stand the rejection if he said he doesn't feel the same."

"Fair enough, doll," agreed Paulo. "Are you going to be alright, though?"

"I'm going to have to be," sighed Charlotte sadly.

For the reminder of the evening, Paulo did the majority of the work and all the clearing up, allowing the make up artist to relax and try and work out what she'd do next, now that she knew Jericho wasn't ready to date anyone.

Finally, the two beauty employees finished for the night, and headed back to the hotel.

Once Charlotte told Candice, Kelly and Maria what had happened with Jericho, her friends all insisted they have a night in watching movies and eating ice cream to lift the blonde's spirits.

"I have a better idea," announced Charlotte. "Let's hit a club and forget about men for once."

"Oh, no," protested Paulo. "Not after the last time you were upset over a guy, and ended up getting blind drunk."

"I promise, I won't this time," assured Charlotte. "I just want to go out, have a good time with my friends and forget everything that happened today."

"Okay then," agreed Candice finally. "But if we think you're getting too drunk, we're going to insist you stop and change to water, alright?"

"Deal," conceded Charlotte happily, just glad to be going out and not spending all night moping around her hotel room.

An hour later, the three divas, hairstylist and make up artist met up in the hotel lobby, all dressed up and ready for a night on the town.

Despite recently learning the man she was in love with wasn't ready to date, Charlotte was trying to make the best of a bad situation and pushed all depressing thoughts out of her mind, as she and her friends walked the block to the night club.

When they arrived, they found the establishment already full of WWE employees, and after grabbing a drink, Charlotte, Paulo, Maria, Candice and Kelly hit the dance floor.

The five friends danced together closely, embracing each other and giggling drunkenly in delight at various things that caught their attention.

It was exactly what Charlotte needed to take her mind off the heart break of hearing Chris wasn't ready to date yet, and she was thankful she had such supportive friends.

True to her word, Charlotte was taking it easy on the alcohol. Even though she was a little tipsy, she could still walk in a straight line and was fully aware of what she was doing and what was going on around her.

Half way through the evening – as Charlotte and her friends were still on the wooden floor, dancing to _Gimme More _by Britney Spears – a man approached the make up artist.

"Erm, hi, I was just wondering if you'd like to dance?" the dark-haired male asked.

"No thanks, I'm just here to have a good time with my friends," returned Charlotte pleasantly.

Normally, this answer would have been good enough for most people. However, this man was particularly drunk, and didn't seem to want to take no for an answer.

"Oh, come on, it'll be fun," he insisted, taking the blonde's hands.

Charlotte tried to struggle from his grasp, but the dark-haired male had snaked his arms around the make up artist's waist.

"I said I didn't want to dance," Charlotte reminded forcefully.

"Now, now, one dance won't hurt, will it?" protested the drunken man.

Again, Charlotte tried to free herself from his grip, but the guy was just too strong.

"I'm sure the lady has told you she doesn't want to dance," said a deep voice from behind the make up artist.

As the dark-haired man backed away, Charlotte whipped around to see Jericho smiling at her.

The blonde's whole body went ridged, and her heart sank to the floor, as the wrestler took hold of her hands and led her to the bar.

"Are you okay?" he asked, ordering both of them a drink.

"I'm fine," insisted Charlotte coldly, pushing the beverage away. The pain of being around him was just too much for her to handle at the moment. "And I don't need you coming to my rescue, thank you very much."

"I'm sorry," returned Jericho sheepishly. "I just thought that guy looked like a creep and thought you might need some help."

"And so what if he was?" Charlotte bit back angrily, as she rose from the stool. "I don't see how that's any of your concern."

The truth was it was killing the blonde to be so near to Jericho. To have him there besides her, showing he cared was torture when she knew they could never be more than friends.

The wrestler looked completely taken aback by the make up artist's sudden outburst; he honestly thought she'd be pleased to see him.

"Well... you're my friend...and friends look out for each other," he stuttered, at a loss for what else to say.

The word 'friends' cut Charlotte like a knife. It was as if she was hearing the Canadian admit he didn't want to be with her.

"Well," Charlotte said, curtly, "If you were my friend, you would understand that I can handle myself."

Chris' face was clouded with confusion and he asked, "What's wrong, Charlie?"

Chris' use of her nickname was like another stab in the heart. Additionally, it bothered Charlotte even more that he could tell that this argument was nothing to do with the sleazy guy who had been trying to hit on her, and her temper flared little more.

"Nothing is wrong. Everything is fine. Perfect, in fact. So you just have your drink, and I'll go back to dancing with my friends. Have a good evening," she raged at him, before turning on her heels and storming away.

Inside, Charlotte felt like her heart was breaking, and upon seeing the confusion on Chris' face, she was half tempted to turn back around and tell him what was really bothering her. However, his earlier words to Layla rang out in Charlotte's mind - '_I'm not really looking to date anyone at the moment. I've got my daughter to think about and she's got to come first.' - _and Charlotte knew confessing her feelings and the being rejected would cause her more pain than she was already suffering.

Jericho watched Charlotte's retreating form in utter bewilderment. This was the second time he'd seen her recently that she'd acted strangely. Vowing to get to the bottom of whatever was going on between them, the wrestler made a mental note to speak to the blonde's friends when they returned to work and get some answers from them.

As the make up artist stamped across the night club, her heart raced from the argument. If there was ever the slight chance that Jericho would consider dating her, she knew she'd just ruined it with that little outburst.

When she returned to her friends, they all looked expectantly at the blonde. Paulo, Candice, Kelly and Maria had witnessed the creepy guy coming onto Charlotte, and then Chris coming to her rescue. Hoping the chance to speak to each other would resolve any problems they had, the three divas and hairstylist had taken a back seat when the wrestler had led the make up artist to the bar.

However, now that they saw Charlotte's face contorted with rage and misery, they knew they'd been wrong.

"What's the matter?" Paulo asked instantly.

"I've just had a huge fight with Chris," Charlotte explained with a sigh.

"Oh god, what happened?" inquired Maria.

"Well, Chris stopped that guy from sleazing all over me, and then took me to the bar for a drink. He was being perfect, as usual, and I just couldn't handle being around him and knowing we'll never be more than friends," Charlotte confessed.

"Oh, honey," said Candice, pulling the make up artist into a tight embrace.

The others joined them, and then Charlotte burst into tears.

"Should it hurt this much to be in love?" she sniffed.

"Oh, doll," returned Paulo. "Unfortunately, sometimes it does. If you're ever going to be able to be around Chris, you've got to find a way to deal with your feelings for him."

"I know," she agreed sadly. "It just hurts so much."

"We know it does, babe," said Maria sympathetically, rubbing the make up artist's back.

"I think what we need to do, is get you into a nice hot bath and then to bed," added Kelly, taking Charlotte's hand, as the group of friends made their way off the dance floor.

By the time they'd reached the hotel, Charlotte was feeling a lot calmer, but very tired.

After promising Candice, Maria, Kelly and Paulo that she was okay, and would meet them for breakfast the following morning, the blonde headed up to her room.

She took a long hot bubble bath, which helped relax her and made her even more tired, then changed into her pajamas and climbed into bed.

Using the light from her cell phone, the make up artist searched though her purse - until she found the two photos she was looking for.

Gazing down at the picture of Abby and Chris embracing happily, Charlotte's heart ached. She wondered what would have happened if the wrestler's daughter wasn't around? Or if she'd never over heard Layla asking him out, and had gone ahead and confessed her love for him?

Would the Chris have rejected her in the same way he had the diva search winner? Or for her, would he have been willing to consider a relationship?

Realizing 'what ifs' were never going to solve anything, the blonde tucked the pictures away and lay down to sleep. Her friends were right, she'd just have to deal with her feelings for Jericho and the fact they couldn't be more than friends, whenever she was around him.

* * *

When Charlotte arrived home the following day, she didn't have the chance to dwell on her feelings for Jericho, as CJ and Jeanie came round to announce that they'd brought a house together and would be collecting the keys in about a month's time.

Loretta Mae couldn't hide her delight in the fact that her oldest child and his long-term partner we're finally settling down together.

Additionally, Charlotte, Ellie and Charles were as equally pleased for the couple, and Charles insisted they all go out for a meal that night to celebrate.

However, CJ and Jeanie's good news didn't end there. With the purchase of their first home together, the couple had also decided to get engaged.

This time, Loretta really did squeal with delight, as she threw her arms around her son and his new fiancée.

"Oh, we'll have to throw you a party," she insisted.

The couple's protests that they didn't want any fuss was lost, as Loretta jumped up from the couch, grabbed the phone, and began calling possible venues and caterers for the party.

"I told you," teased Charlotte in a sing-song voice, as both CJ and Jeanie sighed and flopped onto the sofa.

The afternoon was then spent with Loretta – now joined by Charlotte and Ellie, who just couldn't resist planning a party – arranging every little detail of the engagement celebrations. To keep out of the 'three witches' way (as Charles affectionately dubbed them) the former little league coach took his son and soon-to-be daughter in-law out for a few drinks at the local bar.

By the time CJ, Jeanie and Charles arrived home that evening, for a family dinner, Loretta had successfully arranged an engagement party for the following night.

No less than fifty guests had been invited, Loretta successfully managing to persuade the couple's high school and college friends to attend the party, even though it was been thrown last minute.

Additionally Charlotte had managed to secure a swing band being hired to play and Ellie had talked top class caterers into agreeing to prepare a finger-food buffet.

All that was left to be done was decorate the function room the party was being held at; a task that would be easily accomplished the following morning by Loretta, Charlotte and Ellie.

The make up artist found the news of her brother's engagement, and subsequent party, a good distraction from her own feelings for the duration of her time at home. Having a celebration to plan, and being caught up in the couple's excitement, took the blonde's mind off Jericho for a while – something she was very glad of.

On the day of CJ and Jeanie's engagement party, Charlotte didn't have time to think about much at all, as she was kept busy with the preparations for her brother's celebration.

As soon as the blonde had had breakfast, she accompanied her mother and sister into town, so that the three women could buy all the supplies necessary to decorate the venue of the newly engaged couple's party.

Splitting up – so that they could accomplish more in the little time that had – Charlotte, Ellie and Loretta went around the craft store, buying everything they could possibly need to make the drab and dull function room look perfect for that evening's celebrations.

With her arms full of rolls of crate paper, banners, sequins and other such decorations, the make up artist headed to the cash-desk, to find her mother and sister already there – their arms also laden with craft materials -- like balloons, ribbons and rows of beads on a length of string.

After purchasing all they would need to decorate the venue of CJ and Jeanie's engagement party, the three women stopped at a café to grab a quick bite of lunch, before loading the craft supplies into beauty student's VW Beetle, and then heading to some more shops to buy gifts for the couple and new outfits for that evening.

Loretta, Charlotte and Ellie were in their element, as they browsed rows and rows of dresses, skirts, pants, blouses and shoes. They all divided off into different directions, and then began trying to decide on the perfect outfit for that evening.

Finally, almost an hour later, the three women reunited at the cash-desk, each clutching a variety of garments and accessories in their arms.

"Oh, that's nice," commented Charlotte, looking at a silver sequinned blouse her sister had selected.

"Thanks," returned Ellie, before adding to her mother, "Those pants are lovely."

As the mother and her two daughters inched closer to the front of the queue, they continued commenting on the clothing they'd selected, and discussing what they were going to wear for the party later.

They then visited some more stores, where they picked out engagement presents for CJ and Jeanie. Charlotte brought her brother and his new fiancée a thirty-five piece, Chinese inspired, dining set. Ellie selected a collection of glasses for the couple, and Loretta picked out a pile of bath and hand towels, with matching face clothes, shower mat and shower curtain.

After returning home, briefly, to drop off their purchases, the three women then headed to the function room, where CJ and Jeanie's celebration would be held, and began decorating the room for the evening's festivities.

During the course of the afternoon, the caterers and band arrived, and the former salon owner immediately jumped into 'hostess' mode, as she instructed everyone on what they needed to do to set up for the party.

The buffet table was laid out, with trays of food being carried into the function room, while Charlotte and Ellie hung up the banner, streamers, balloons and other such decorations.

Finally, the hall was all ready for CJ and Jeanie's engagement party, and it wasn't a moment too soon, as the first of the guests were due to arrive in an hour and a half's time.

With nothing left to do now that everywhere was suitably decorated, the caterers had finished laying the buffet table, and the band was tuning up, Loretta, Charlotte and Ellie headed home to change.

When they arrived at the Robinson house, the former salon owner was relieved to find that Charles had already showered, and even more shockingly he was ironing his own shirt.

"I'll do that for you, love," she offered, shooing her husband out of the way.

The former little league coach happily obliged, and allowed his wife to continue the ironing, as he caught the last ten minutes of the football game on television.

After showering, Ellie took the selection of clothing she'd brought that day, and then joined her older sister in the guest house to get ready for the party.

As Charlotte emerged from the washroom, she found the beauty student standing in front of the mirror, holding different garments up against her body.

"I'd go with that top, and the pants Mama brought for your birthday," Charlotte suggested.

"Thanks," returned Ellie. "Can I borrow your suede boots to go with them? Some idiot from the hair department spilt bleach on mine last week."

"Sure, they're in the bottom of my closet," replied Charlotte.

As Ellie rooted around for the aforementioned footwear, the older sister began browsing outfit options for herself.

Finally, after discarding three different tops, a dress, two pairs of pants and a skirt, Charlotte found a combination of garments she was happy with.

"What do you think?" she asked, twirling around in the red halter top, and low rise black pants.

"Perfect," answered Ellie with a grin.

The two women then styled their hair – fighting over the straightening irons – and applied their make up, and then they were ready for the party.

They returned to the main house to find their – now fully changed father – watching the evening news and their mother trying desperately to remove a stain from the blouse she wanted to wear.

"You know, a little water and baking soda would take that right off," suggested Charlotte.

"I know that, thank you very much, but we're all out," Loretta bit back anxiously.

"Mama, just calm down, you can wear another blouse," offered Ellie, taking the offending garment out of the other woman's hands.

"No I cannot, Ellie Lynette. This blouse is the only one that goes with the pants I have on," protested Loretta angrily, as though her daughter had suggested the most unreasonable thing ever. "It my son's engagement party, and I need to look perfect."

Their mother then went on a tirade of how she just knew something was going to go wrong that evening, and the whole night would end in disaster.

Finally, it was Charles who brought clam to the group, by offering to drive to the store and buy some baking soda.

Fifteen minutes later – during which time Loretta had applied her make up and styled her hair – the former little league coach returned with the cooking ingredient, and his wife was able to remove the stain from her blouse.

"Thank you, love," Loretta said as she adjusted the now perfectly clean garment, and then kissed her husband on both cheeks. This elicited grossed-out faces from both Ellie and Charlotte.

However, Charles just shrugged his shoulders sheepishly and returned, "For you, my dear, nothing is too much trouble."

Again, the two sisters made faces to indicate they were grossed out by their parents behaviour, and Ellie whispered, "They really need to get a room."

This caused Charlotte to have a giggling fit, which was quickly silenced by a stern look from her mother.

"Are we all ready to leave then?" inquired Loretta, sounding a lot calmer now the blouse incident had been dealt with.

When the others nodded in agreement, the Robinson family climbed into Charles' car, and headed across town to the venue of CJ and Jeanie's engagement party.

They arrived at the function room, and as expected, found themselves to be the first guests there. After Loretta had doubled checked that everything for the evening was perfect, she laid out their gifts on the table near the entrance hall, and then waited for more party goers to turn up.

While their mother greeted the arrivals, and their father chatted with the band, Charlotte and Ellie helped themselves to drinks.

The former salon owner had insisted on offering free glasses of Champagne to everyone attending the party, something the two sisters were more than happy to take advantage of, as they sipped the carbonated wine from tulip shaped glasses.

CJ and Jeanie were the first people to arrive, and were quickly pulled into a tight – and tearful – embrace by Loretta.

"Oh, look at you two. Y'all look so happy together," she cooed.

"Thanks, Mama," returned CJ with a sheepish grin. "We are."

When CJ and Jeanie finally broke away from Loretta, they headed over to where Charlotte and Ellie were standing by bar -- drinking their second glass of Champagne.

"I told you, didn't I?" Charlotte said in a sing-song voice, referring to the fuss they all knew their mother would make over the engagement.

"Well, I think it's very sweet of her," insisted Jeanie helping herself to a glass of Champagne.

Slowly, the venue began filling up with party guests. Jeanie's parents arrived, and once they'd finally been able to escape Loretta, they made their way over to congratulate the couple and welcome CJ into the family.

The whole of the football player's team turned up, as well as the majority of the coaching crew, as Jeanie also worked for the Mississippi Bulldogs as a physiotherapist.

Additionally, a great number of the couple's old University and High School friends had attended the party, some of them not having seen each other since they graduated.

As the night got under way, guests congratulated Jeanie and CJ, while others caught up with old friends they hadn't seen in a long time.

Loretta flitted about, making sure all the party guests were happy and content.

Charlotte and Ellie spent to majority of the evening chatting to those of CJ's High School team-mates who had been just a year or two ahead of them at school.

Suddenly, the younger sister's mouth hung open in shock.

"Oh my god! Is that Hayden Jacobs?" she exclaimed.

Standing just a few feet away was a tall, lean muscular guy, with shoulder length brown hair tied back into a low ponytail. As he turned, Charlotte got a good look at him.

"Uh-huh," she replied with a nod of her head.

Hayden Jacobs had been the star Quarterback on the High School team when the sisters were in attendance there. He was a few years older than Charlotte, and generally considered as the local heart throb – not much had changed the make up artist noted.

As Hayden turned, he noticed the siblings, and decided to approach them.

"Hey, Charlotte. Hey Ellie," he began, taking a seat at their table. "How are you both?"

"I'm good thanks," returned Charlotte.

"Yeah, me too," added Ellie.

"So, what are you both up to these days?" inquired Hayden.

"I'm still at college, working towards my beauty degree," informed Ellie.

"And I'm working as a make up artist for the WWE," answered Charlotte. "How about you?"

"I'm doing well thanks, I just signed a new contract with the New Orleans Saints," replied Hayden.

"Oh, wow. Congratulations," wished Ellie.

"Yeah, good on ya," added Charlotte.

The younger sister was then about to say more, where she got called away by her mother, who needed her help with something.

Ellie looked between her sister and Hayden with slight regret, then shrugged her shoulders and went to see what Loretta needed her for.

"So, besides working, what else have you been doing?" inquired the Hayden.

"Nothing much really. You know, just the usual stuff, hanging out with friends and things like that," returned Charlotte with a shrug. "You?"

"About the same really. Seeing movies, hitting bars, eating out, stuff like that," answered Hayden. "I broke up with my fiancée about a year ago, so I'm getting use to being single again."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," commented Charlotte. "Do you mind me asking what happened?"

"No, of course not, I've got nothing to hide. Honestly, I'm glad to have someone to talk to about it, as all my friends were Jenny's friends too and they pretty much took her side after the break up. I discovered a month before we were due to get married that she'd been sleeping with one of my team mates. She claims it was because I was so focused on my career that I wasn't giving her enough attention. I admit, I wasn't as attentive towards her as I should have been, but that's no excuse for her cheating on me," explained Hayden.

"Oh, god, how awful to hear that. I'm so sorry, Hayden," said Charlotte, placing her hand and the football player's arm.

"Shit happens," shrugged Hayden. "I'm just lucky I found out before we got married. Anyway, enough of my misery. How about you, are you seeing anyone?"

Charlotte contemplated the question momentarily. She figured now wasn't the time to mention all the disastrous dates she'd been on in the past few months, nor did she feel comfortable discussing her feeling for Jericho with someone she hadn't seen for years.

"No, I haven't really been looking," she lied.

"Now that I can't believe," protested Hayden. "You were a complete knock-out at school and nothing much has changed, so I'm surprised to hear you're not beating guys off with a stick."

Charlotte blushed at the compliment and shook her head. "As I said, I haven't been looking. I'm happy enough to be single and having a good time with my friends."

In reality, the blonde's chest tightened at this fabrication. While she did have a wonderful time with the divas and Paulo, there was no denying she'd been lonely in the last year and thinking about settling down. Additionally, her thoughts drifted to Jericho. If circumstances were different, she felt sure she and the wrestler would be together. However, how could she explain to Hayden that she was in love with a man who wasn't ready to date, without looking foolish and desperate?

"Well, if it works for you, why not," shrugged the Hayden. "You're still young, you've got plenty of time to settle down."

"I guess," agreed Charlotte, her thoughts more focused on other things than the current conversation.

Thankfully, seconds later Ellie returned and saved Charlotte from any more awkwardness. The three people then continued chatting about their respective lives over a few more glasses of Champagne.

Finally, the party began to wind down, and the guests started to leave.

As Hayden rose from his seat, and put on his jacket, he pulled Charlotte towards him.

"Listen, Charlotte. I was... erm... thinking," he began. "Well, if you ever want to go to dinner with me or something, here's my number."

The blonde looked blankly at the football player, as he handed her a card with his contact details on.

"Erm, thanks," she returned hesitantly. "I'll think about it, is that okay?"

"Yeah, sure," replied Hayden. "I just figured, as we had a good time tonight, it might be nice to see each other again to catch up more."

"Yeah, it would," Charlotte half-lied. While she'd thoroughly enjoyed herself with Hayden, she knew the football player was looking for a little more than just catching up with an old school friend – and she couldn't offer him that.

"Okay, great," said Hayden. "Well, I best be off now, but hopefully I'll see you soon."

"Okay," returned Charlotte. "Take care of yourself and I'll give you a call some time."

"You too," replied the football player, before adding. "I'll see you around, Ellie."

As soon as Hayden had left, the beauty student turned to her sister with a questioning look.

"Did I just hear things right?" she inquired. "Hayden Jacobs asked you out on a date and you turned him down? What's going on, Charlie?"

"I'll explain later," assured Charlotte, as their mother appeared and swept them both into a family photo.

Later that night, as she sat chatting with Ellie in the guest house, Charlotte couldn't help it when her thoughts drifted to Jericho.

The beauty student caught on to her sister's wistful look and asked, "So, what's all this about you turning Hayden down? Has something happened between you and Chris that you're not telling me about? Did y'all get together?"

The older blonde sighed and shook her head.

"No, we haven't," she informed, and then explained everything that had happened between herself and the wrestler recently.

Ellie's immediate response was very similar to Paulo's.

"Okay, but how do you know Chris wasn't just saying that to put Layla off? Maybe he does feel the same way about you, and if you were just honest with him and told him how you feel, he would want a relationship too?" she inquired.

"And how do you know that he doesn't just see our relationship as platonic and he isn't ready to date yet?" countered Charlotte. "I can't risk the hurt him rejecting me would cause. If I just say nothing, at least we can still be friends. However, if I admit to Chris that I love him and he doesn't feel the same, I'll never be able to look at him again."

"Yeah, but what happens if while you're keeping silent out of fear, if he realizes he is ready to date and then takes Layla up on her offer or something?" insisted Ellie.

"Well, I've just gotta hope, when Chris finally decides he's ready to start stating again, he approaches me first," sighed Charlotte.

"If you think that's the right thing to do. Personally, I'd say that's more risky than admitting how you feel," protested Ellie. "For all you know, he could be in love with you too, and just waiting for you to make the first move. But if you leave it too long, he might not think you're interested."

"Maybe so," agreed Charlotte. "But I don't think I wanna take that chance. No, for now, I'll just carry on like nothing happened."

"And you're really going to be able to do that?" questioned Ellie. "Because of how you feel for him, y'all ended up having a fight at the club, and don't forget, you agreed to go to Canada with him and Abby, just before Christmas too."

"Oh damn. I forgot about that," said Charlotte, cursing her own forgetfulness. "What the hell am I going to do? I can't go and meet his family feeling the way I do about him. But at the same time, I don't wanna let Abby down. Also, if I change my mind now, Chris is going to ask awkward questions."

"Then why don't you still go with them, and maybe reconsider telling Chris how you feel?" offered Ellie. "I dunno, see how the few days with his family go, and then make your decision."

"Maybe," sighed Charlotte. "You know, I think what I really need is an early night. The last few days have been manic, and I wanna be fully recharged before I head back to work."

"You're right," agreed Ellie. "I should be hitting the sack too. Are you gonna be okay here on your own? Or do you want me to grab a sleeping bag and crash on the floor?"

"I'll be fine, Ellie," assured Charlotte. "Actually, I think I'll be too exhausted to dwell on my feelings any longer. You head to bed, and I'll see you in the morning."

"Okay, but I'll keep my cell switched on, so that you can text me if you need anything," promised Ellie. "Take care and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Thanks, Ellie. I'll catch you in the morning," returned Charlotte, standing up to embrace her sister.

Once the beauty student had headed over to the main house, Charlotte changed into her pajamas and snuggled down in bed.

As she drifted between being awake and sleeping, the blonde contemplated her sister's words. Having had had a couple of days to think over everything that had happened between herself and Jericho, the make up artist was feeling more confused than even. Just when she thought she had everything worked out in her mind, something happened to change her prospective on the situation, until she was running in circles.

Finally, exhaustion got the better of her, and Charlotte fell into a deep sleep.


	21. Guilt trips & lessons in selfdiscovery

**Author's notes: **Thanks to **annskieesofresh, SummerRain173, Disco Inferno1, sweetortonlover86, chnoelle, littleone999, Rheya-Goddess, Westfan, purplefeather21 and Medieval Mystic **for your awesome reviews! I'm thrilled you're all still enjoying the story so much, and putting up with my delays in updating. I really appreciate the support guys – y'all rock!!

Additional thanks to Additionally thanks to Gin (Disco Inferno1, USER ID: 339498) and Karen (IMissPadfoot, USER ID: 1133633) for your help with this chapter. You girls are the best!

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-one: Guilt trips and a lesson in self-discovery. **

The following day when Charlotte arrived at the hotel before work, she still hadn't made a decision what she was going to do about her feelings for Jericho or their impending trip to Canada together. Additionally, to add even more conflict to the blonde's thoughts, when the make up artist checked into her room, she was handed a letter by the receptionist.

The American airways logo on the front of the envelope tipped Charlotte off to what was contained within, and her chest tightened with anxiety.

Stepping into the elevator and opening the letter, the blonde was unsurprised to see her tickets to Winnipeg looking back at her, almost like a taunt.

Ellie's advice echoed around the make up artist's head - _'Why don't you still go with them, and maybe reconsider telling Chris how you feel? See how the few days with his family go, and then make your decision._' - and coupled with that was an image of Abby's disappointed face should Charlotte tell the eleven-year-old she wasn't going on the trip after all.

Feeling frustrated, the blonde entered her room and, finding it empty of chatty room-mates, she headed to the washroom, hoping a good soak in the bath before work would help clear her thoughts.

As the make up artist lay in the hot, bubble filled water, she kept playing the events of the last few days back in her head.

Chris' insistence to Layla that he wasn't ready to date yet stung like a sharp knife. However, it was always countered by the look of hurt and confusion on the wrestler's face, after she'd raged at him in the night club on the last occasion they'd seen each other.

_The Canadian's face was clouded with confusion when he'd asked, "__What's wrong, Charlie?"_

_"__Nothing is wrong. Everything is fine. Perfect, in fact. So you just have your drink, and I'll go back to dancing with my friends. Have a good evening," she'd bit back, before turning on her heels and storming away._

Charlotte couldn't believe she'd left with things like that between herself and Jericho. It actually physically hurt her to think that she'd caused the wrestler such unhappiness with her words.

Would his blue eyes cloud over with sadness in the same way if she told him she couldn't come home with him? Would his usually bright smile falter and turn to a frown if she backed out of this trip? And then there was Abby to consider. If Charlotte thought breaking the news to the Canadian would be hard, then it would be 100 times worse telling his daughter. The younger blonde all but idolized Charlotte and this trip was all she had talked about for the last month.

Then the make up artist realized that it would be unfair to make either Chris or Abby suffer because she'd heard the wrestler tell Layla he wasn't ready to date yet. This wasn't either of their faults – hell, Jericho wasn't even aware that the make up artist had overheard his conversation with the diva.

_No, there had to be some solution that could make all three of us happy_, Charlotte told herself, thinking that maybe Ellie was right and she should just go to Canada, see how the few days with his family went, and then make her decision.

Thankfully, when the blonde reached the arena, something happened that allowed her a break from her thoughts. Before she'd even had a chance to get out her make up kit, and catch up with Paulo, Charlotte was once again summoned to Valerie Ford's office for another moderation session with Beth Phoenix.

Despite having to deal with the 'Glamazon' and their issues, the make up artist was grateful for the distraction, and happy to have something – besides her romantic life - to focus on.

With what she hoped was a happy expression on her face, Charlotte took a deep breath, knocked on Valerie Ford's door, and waited for permission to enter the office.

A few moments later, the Manager of Community Relations' voice rang out, telling her to come in, and the blonde entered.

She was unsurprised to see Beth already sitting opposite the older woman, and happily took the last available chair besides the diva.

"Good afternoon, ladies," Valerie Ford began. "I'm pleased to see you both here for a second session. As I explained to you last week, this week I would like to conduct individual and group interviews with you both to ascertain why there's so much resentment and hostility between the pair of you."

Charlotte nodded her head and replied, "Sounds good to me."

Beth also nodded her head and answered in the affirmative.

"Very well then," continued the Manager of Community Relations. "I'd like to conduct the individual interviews first, please, if that's ok with both of you? And then I'll call you back in here to discuss the issues you've raised between the three of us."

"Sure thing," agreed Charlotte with a curt nod of her head.

"Yeah, sure," added Beth.

"Right then. Miss Robinson, if you'd like to go first? And Miss Phoenix, would you kindly wait outside, please?" inquired the older woman.

"Yeah, no problem," agreed Beth, rising from her chair and exiting the office.

When the door had swung shut, and the room had returned to silence, the Manager of Community Relations turned her undivided attention to Charlotte.

"Miss Robinson, I wonder if I could start by asking why you think there's so much hostility between yourself and Miss Phoenix?"

"Honestly, I don't know," confessed Charlotte. "When Beth first came up from OVW, I knew nothing about her and had no real opinion of her. Then, Candice suggested, as Beth was new in the WWE, that maybe it would be nice if we tried to make her feel welcome in the company. So, on the night of Beth's debut, after the show, I invited her to come to a night club with myself, Candice, Maria and Kelly. I explained how most of the wrestlers and crew went out after events, and that it would be a good way for her to get to know everyone."

"Very well," commented Valerie Ford, making a note on her pad. "And what happened then? Did Miss Phoenix accept your invitation?"

"No, she didn't. She said she didn't really feel like going clubbing that night as she was tired, and said maybe she'd join us some other time. Well, I thought that was fair enough and accepted it as it was, wishing Beth a good evening and saying I'd see her the following day at work. The next day, she was the first person needing my services before her match, and I just assumed everything would be like it was the day before. However, it wasn't. As soon as Beth sat down on the stool, she was hostile towards me without any reason. She made comments about how I looked rough after my night out, and that it appeared like I was putting on weight," informed Charlotte with a frown and downcast eyes.

"I see," said the Manager of Community Relations. "And what was your reaction to this?"

"Well, I didn't know what to make of it, so I just tried to laugh it off. You know, I thought maybe Beth was kidding around or something. Only she wasn't, and every day since then she's been treating me in the same way. I tried again a few times to get her to come out with me and my friends, but she'd just throw it back in my face by taunting and teasing me."

"Very well," said Valerie Ford, her face expressing no emotion of possible clues on what she thought of the situation. "I think that's all I need from you at the moment, Miss Robinson. If you'd like to wait outside while I question Miss Phoenix individually, and then you can rejoin us to discuss these issues as a group."

"Sure, no problem," returned Charlotte as she rose from her chair. "Should I tell Beth that she should come in now?"

The manager of Community Relations nodded her head, so the blonde exited the office, made her way into the corridor and informed the diva that it was her turn to be interviewed.

* * *

As the interviews between Charlotte, Beth and Valerie Ford continued, in another part of the arena Chris Jericho was a man on a mission.

After leaving his eleven-year-old daughter in the care of Paulo, the wrestler made his way to the women's lockerroom, determined to track down Maria, Candice and Kelly, and get some answers from the divas about his relationship with the make up artist and her recent strange behaviour towards him.

Spotting the three women chatting besides the canteen, the Canadian made a beeline for the trio, resolved to finally get the issue that had been bothering him for the past few days sorted.

As Jericho approached, the divas cast furtive glances between themselves – knowing exactly what Jericho was coming to speak to them about - and wondering what the best course of action to take would be.

"You know, we could just feign ignorance, and let Charlie and Chris sort this out for themselves," offered Candice.

"No way," insisted Maria. "You know Charlotte will never do anything about the situation on her own. It's our duty as her best friends to intervene."

"And we also know Charlie hates it when we interfere in her personal life," protested Kelly.

"Still, we have to do something," countered Maria. "They're never going to get this sorted out on their own, and to be honest, I'm kind of sick of seeing the both of them moping around."

"You've got a point," agreed Candice. "It'll be worth it just to stop Chris and Charlie looking like they lost a dollar and found a cent."

"Ok," agreed Kelly. "But we keep it subtle, ok?"

The other two divas nodded, as Jericho approached them, all three women trying to keep their expressions natural.

"Hey, Chris. How's things?" Candice greeted as casually as she could. "Is Abby on the road with you again this week?"

"Yeah, she's with Paulo at the moment," answered Jericho. "How are you guys? All good I hope."

"Uh-huh," returned Kelly, with a nod of her head and she shuffled her feet anxiously.

"Listen, there's something I wanted to ask you about," he continued.

Again, the three women exchanged worried looks, wondering how long they were going to be able to keep this conversation subtle.

"The thing is, Charlie has been acting really strangely with me recently, and I wondered if you lot knew why?" inquired Jericho.

"Well, you see..." Maria stuttered.

"To be honest it isn't really our place to say anything," added Kelly, feeling very uncomfortable with the situation.

"And, well, maybe it would be best if you asked her yourself," Candice finished for them.

"Cut the bull shit, ok ladies?" insisted Jericho. "I know you and Charlotte are best friends, and I also know she tells you everything. You've gotta have some idea of what's been bothering her."

Maria – no longer about to stand the tension or keep her nose out of Charlotte's business – caved, and launched into an explanation of their friend's strange behaviour over the past week.

"She likes you, Chris. A lot more than you may realize," she explained. "And well, the other day, she overheard you telling Layla you're not ready to date yet. Obviously, she was heartbroken, because she'd just realized she's in lov-"

At that moment, Candice forestalled her friend, knowing above all else, Charlotte would not want them to tell Jericho how she really felt about him.

However, the wrestler nodded his head, and with a knowing smile spoke. "It's ok. I... well... the things is... what I'm trying to say is that I feel the same," he confessed.

"You do?" inquired Maria, jumping up and down in delight.

"Yes, and I figured Charlie knew that, but I guess I was wrong," he sighed.

"Of course she didn't know," insisted Kelly. "Charlotte is completely clueless when it comes to things like that. You could write it in ten-foot high letters and she still wouldn't get the hint. Actually, I'm surprised she figured out her own feelings so quickly."

The Canadian laughed and shook his head. "Ok, but that still doesn't solve my problem. If what you're all saying is true ?, Charlie will never admit to me how she really feels and we'll keep going around in circles forever."

"Not if you tell her how you feel," protested Kelly. "If you confessed, it would totally sweep her off her feet. You know what Charlotte's like, she's all for romantic gestures and stuff. If you did something really special for her, well then she would open up and tell you how she feels too."

Jericho grinned triumphantly and nodded his head. "Don't worry about that, I have something planned," he informed ambiguously. "The problem I have is setting it up. I was going to do it when she came home with Abby and I, but with how she'd been acting recently, I'm not even sure she's still going to come on the trip."

"Ah-ha. I see your problem," agreed Candice. "When she spoke to us this afternoon, she was still debating if she should go with you or not."

"Maybe, we could arrange something?" suggested Maria, smiling impishly. "You know she's already said she'd scared of letting Abby down. If the three of us and Abby talked her into it, I'm sure she'd agree to the trip."

"That's a fantastic idea," agreed Jericho, with a chuckle. "I know just how persuasive my daughter can be at times."

"Ok, great. We'll go and find Abby in a minute and then track down Charlotte," said Maria. "Now, tell us what you had planned?"

Jericho smiled impishly, and then explained to the divas how he was planning to surprise Charlotte when they went to visit his parents for Christmas.

* * *

As Charlotte waited for Valerie Ford to finish conducting her interview with Beth Phoenix, her mind fell back to contemplating what she should do about Jericho and their trip to Canada.

The make up artist could just imagine Abby's reaction if she said she wasn't going on the trip – the eleven year old would be heart broken. However, how could she be around the wrestler, and his family, when she felt like she did about him?

Spending time together and doing things couples did would be hell for the blonde, knowing she could never have a relationship with the Canadian. But then, did she really know for sure that nothing could happen between the two of them. For all intents and purpose, Jericho had been giving her the impression he was interested in more than friendship. They hung out every chance they had, and were always overly flirtatious with each other. Countless people had commented on how they made a good couple, and were surprised to learn they weren't actually together.

_Maybe I should follow Ellie's advice and see how this trip goes before making up my mind_, Charlotte thought to herself. _But then, if he confirms that he doesn't want to date anyone, the rest of the time at his parents' will be unbearable._

As Valerie Ford's office door swung open, and Beth told her that she could come back in, the make up artist was glad to have a release from the mental torment thinking about the Canadian was causing her.

"After having spoken to both of your individually, there's now some issues I'd like us to address as a group," the manager of Community Relations informed, as Charlotte took her place on the seat next to the diva.

Both women nodded their heads in agreeance.

"From what you've both told me, your issues with each other began when Miss Phoenix started her tenure with the WWE," Valerie Ford continued. "Miss Robinson, Miss Phoenix has informed me, that despite your invitation for her to join you and your friends at a night club, you've always acted superior to her."

"What?" exclaimed Charlotte, looking from the older woman to the diva in disbelief. "I've never thought like that, and if I've acted in that way then it's been accidental."

Beth regarded the make up artist for a moment, and then looked as though she'd finally resolved to say something that had been on her mind for some time.

"Charlotte," Beth began, and the make up artist was taken aback to hear the diva using her given name for once. "You and the other divas always act like some sort of High School clique and that can be very intimidating. Y'all act so snobby and prissy – with how you go on about guys, make up and shopping - that I just didn't think I'd fit in with you. I'm not like that, I like drinking beer and watching sports."

The make up artist looked at Beth, completely aghast at what she was hearing. Yes, she knew she and her friends could be a little superficial and shallow at times, but she'd never imagined that would alienate others who had just come into the company.

"I'm... so sorry. I had no idea I'd made you feel that way," she stuttered in complete shock.

"You don't have to apologize now. I guess, it just reminded me of when I was bullied at school," Beth continued to confess. "And because of that I acted in a hostile manner towards you."

"Still, I should have been less selfish and shallow when we first met. I should have realized not everyone has the same interests that I do, and that the world doesn't revolve around just what I like.

I can see now how that would have been very off-putting for you when you first joined the company, and for that I'm sorry," insisted the make up artist.

"Apology accepted," returned Beth. "And I'm sorry for countering our differences in personality with hostility and taunting. I should have just accepted that people can be different, and realized that you weren't the same as those girls who teased me at school."

The make up artist continued to stare at the diva in shock. Slowly, she nodded her head and said.

"It's water under the bridge. Why don't we just draw a line under what happened and start over?"

"Sounds good to me," agreed Beth, with a nod and a half-smile.

"Ladies, I'm thrilled at the progress you've made today," announced Valerie Ford happily. "I'd still like our sessions to continue, however, so we can carry on moving forwards from this point. I'll see you both in my office after the holidays, but for now you're free to go back to your work."

"Thanks," Charlotte and Beth said in unison, before turning to each other and smiling.

Then, with a nod of their heads, both women exited the office.

As the make up artist turned to head off along the corridor, she felt a tap on her shoulder and looked around to see Beth standing just behind her.

"Erm... have a good Christmas," the Beth wished.

"Yeah... erm...thanks, you too," returned Charlotte.

"Thanks," replied Beth, before turning on her heels and heading in the direction of the women's lockerroom.

The make up artist shook her head in amazement, wondering when things had suddenly changed between herself and the diva. Realizing that their fight a few weeks ago had actually done some good, and that they were now well on their way to sorting out their issues, Charlotte sighed, wishing everything in her life could be that simple.

Despite having just turned a huge corner in her relationship with Beth, the blonde was still no closer to making a decision about Jericho and her trip to Canada with him.

Today was their last day at work before the holidays, and their flight to Winnipeg was scheduled for the following morning. Whatever she was going to do, she had to decide now, the blonde realized.

Needing some time and space to get her head together, Charlotte slipped into the closest restroom.

In the quiet sanctuary of her cubicle, the make up artist weighed up the pros and cons of going on the trip in her head.

_I'd be letting both Chris and Abby down_, she thought to herself.

_But, it would be hell to be around him for three days_, the other side of her brain countered.

_Although, in a relaxed atmosphere, you might have the chance to ask him how he really feels_, her heart instead.

_And he could reject you, and then you'd be stuck there with him and no escape_, her logical side pointed out.

_Yes, but there's no reason that you have to confess your feelings to him_, her romantic side argued.

_That won't stop being so close to him, but so far from a relationship_, screamed her brain. _Can you really take that pain?_

Over and over again in her head the moment played when Chris had told Layla he wasn't ready to date.

"No, no, no no," the blonde cried, as a tear ran down her cheek.

Finally, the wrestler's words echoing in her brain made up the make up artist's mind for her. She couldn't go on the trip, and she had to tell Jericho now.

_I just hope Abby takes the news well_, she thought to herself, as she stepped out of the restroom and headed in the direction of the Canadian's dressing-room.

With a heavy heart, Charlotte sighed and walked along the corridor to Jericho's room, wondering how exactly she was going to break the news to him and Abby that she wasn't coming to Canada with them.

She could clearly picture the look of disappointment in the eleven-year-old's eyes, and it broke her heart.

However, as the make up artist rounded the corner, someone bounded over to her and threw their arms around their waist.

"Charlie," exclaimed Abby in delight. "Did you get your plane tickets this morning too? Me and Dad did. I'm just so excited about you coming home with us."

"Oh Abby," Charlotte sighed, raising her head and looking over the younger blonde's shoulders to see Candice, Kelly and Maria standing just at the end of the corridor. "Listen, about the trip. I don't know if I can make it after all."

"What?" Abby questioned as they reached the divas. "No, Charlotte, you've gotta come."

"But... but... the thing is..." Charlotte stuttered looking to her friends for help.

"Oh, come on Charlie, you can't let Abby and Chris down now," insisted Maria, looking hopefully at the make up artist.

The older blonde cut daggers at the diva.

"Yeah," added Kelly. "Abby's just being telling us how much she's looking forwards to it, so you can't disappoint her now."

Charlotte looked between her friends angrily, knowing just what they were playing at with this guilt tactic.

The problem for the make up artist was, their plan was flawless, and they knew the older blonde wouldn't be able to deny Abby anything when the eleven-year-old was actually there.

"Please say you're still coming?" she inquired, looking at Charlotte with doe-eyed innocence.

The older blonde's heart melted. When she'd begun realizing she was falling for Chris, her concern had always been what effect her feelings would have on the wrestler's daughter. She adored Abby, and knew the child couldn't be held responsible for what the Canadian had said to Layla. To back out of the trip now, when the eleven-year-old was so obviously excited about it would not only be unfair, but extremely cruel.

"Of course I'm still coming," replied Charlotte. "Just ignore what I said before; I was being silly."

"Awesome," grinned Abby. "I cannot wait. There's so much I want to do when we get to Grandma and Grandpa's"

"I can't wait either," Charlotte half-lied. Yes, she was excited about meeting Jericho's family, and spending a few days with them. However, she was still worried about how exactly she was going to cope being around the wrestler given how she felt for him. She only hoped something would happen on the trip to make it easier.

Looking up at her friends, the make up artist glared at them and whispered – where Abby couldn't hear her - "You know I hate y'all for doing this to me."

The three divas simply shrugged their shoulders as if to say there was nothing they could do about it now, and that everything would work out for the best.

As the group began chatting about the impending trip, the blonde felt her worries subside a little, as she got caught up in the excitement of all that Abby wanted to do when they got to Canada.

However, when the make up artist looked up from the eleven-year-old and her friends, her heart stopped.

Rounding the corner and walking in their direction with a huge smile on his face was Jericho.

The blonde's head span and her chest became tight as the wrestler approached them. The make up artist seriously thought she was going to stop breathing and pass out at any moment.

Dressed in simple black jeans, and his new wrestling T-shirt, the Canadian had never looked so good to her. His blonde hair was its usual half-spiked, half mussed mess, and he had just the merest hint of stubble on his chin.

Jericho's blue eyes lit up playfully as he embraced his daughter, and the blonde felt sure the world had stopped spinning.

"Hey Chris," she squeaked.

"Hey yourself," he replied with a half smile. "All ready for the trip tomorrow?"

"Uh-huh," Charlotte confirmed.

The wrestler looked up at the divas – and unseen by the make up artist – they nodded and grinned at him.

"Thanks. I really owe you guys for this," he whispered to the three women.

"So, how do you fancy grabbing some dinner?" he inquired, looking back at Charlotte.

"I think I'll pass, if you and Abby don't mind. I'm kinda tired, and wanna get an early night so I can fully enjoy the trip," she insisted. In reality, she didn't think she could cope with a night alone with Jericho and his daughter. The next few days were going to be hard enough as it was for her, without dinner on top of that.

"Yeah, you've got a point. We could do with an early night too," agreed Jericho, knowing it wouldn't do any good to push Charlotte on the matter. "Ok, how about we meet in the hotel lobby at half-nine tomorrow morning? Maybe get some breakfast together before heading to the airport?"

"Sure," returned Charlotte. "What time's our flight?"

"Twelve," informed Jericho with a smile. "So we should get to my parents sometime in the late afternoon. I called my mum yesterday, and she mentioned that Evan is visiting, so I think she's got a big family meal prepared."

"Sounds good," commented Charlotte, relaxing a little. "I can't wait to meet your brother and hear all the embarrassing childhood stories he has to tell about you."

The Canadian laughed and shook his head. "Evan is under strict order – upon fear of death – that he's not to say anything too embarrassing," he informed.

"Oh, I'll get it out of him," insisted Charlotte with a coy smile, before stopping herself and looking away sheepishly.

She was amazed at how easily she and Jericho had fallen back into their usual playful banter with each other. _Maybe things won't be so bad after all_, she thought to herself happily.

* * *

The following morning, after packing up her suitcase, Charlotte headed down to breakfast with a mixture of excitement and anxiety building in her stomach.

Now that she'd given in and agreed to go to Canada with Jericho and Abby, the blonde was actually really looking forwards to the trip.

She couldn't wait to meet the wrestler's family, and see where he'd grown up. Additionally, Abby's enthusiasm about the trip was simply infectious, and the make up artist was already looking forwards to going ice skating with the eleven-year-old, and doing all the other things the child had planned.

However, that didn't stop the blonde from worrying about how she was going to cope around Jericho. The previous night, they'd fallen into their usual comfortable chatter as they discussed the vacation, but that hadn't stopped Charlotte from feeling forlorn when she'd gotten back to her hotel room.

The blonde just wished that something would happen so that she was sure one way or another about how the wrestler felt for her, and she was actually still playing with the idea of confessing her true feelings for him – should the trip go well.

When Charlotte entered the restaurant, she found Jericho and Abby already sitting at a table – their cases besides them on the ground – as they browsed the menu.

"Good morning," she greeted, as she took the last available seat at the table.

"Morning, Charlie," returned Chris. "All packed and ready to go?"

"Uh-huh. But first, I need some breakfast; I'm starving," she informed with a grin.

"As always," teased Chris.

"Touché," countered Charlotte.

The wrestler grinned and nodded his head. "Well, I have to be prepared for the flight. Aeroplane food is always horrible."

"So true," she agreed, picking up the last menu and browsing what was available for breakfast. "Which is why, I think I'll have the works now."

"Don't eat too much," Abby advised. "Grandma always cooks up a feast when we have guests."

"Yeah, and she'll be mortally offended if you don't have seconds," added Chris with a grin.

"Well, I wouldn't want to upset your mum on the first time I meet her," insisted Charlotte with a smile.

"No, or she won't let you come back again," teased Chris.

"And who said I'll want to?" commented Charlotte facetiously. "Maybe three days at home with you will scare me off."

"Baby, with what I have planned for you, you'll be begging for more," informed Chris with a heart-melting smile.

Abby made a grossed out face and began giggling, as the blonde looked the Chris in utter confusion.

"Oh, do tell?" she said eventually.

"Nah-ha. I don't want to ruin the surprise," he returned mysteriously, and Charlotte felt a bubble of hope and excitement forming in her stomach.

_Maybe he is interested after all_, she thought to herself eagerly.

After breakfast, Chris, Charlotte and Abby headed to the airport. Thankfully, check in and dropping off their luggage passed quickly and without incident. Soon enough, the trio were on their flight to Winnipeg.

On the plane journey, the eleven-year-old fell asleep, leaving the make up artist and wrestler alone to chat.

"So, what have you got planned for me while I'm at your parents'?" Charlotte inquired.

"Well, there's a Christmas fair in town, so I figured me, you and Abby could go there tomorrow," suggested Chris. "I know Abby's really wants to go ice skating, and apparently they have a rink at the fair."

"Sounds good to me," agreed Charlotte. "And it's a good thing I packed some warm clothes."

"Damn, and here was me hoping I'd have to keep you warm," commented Chris facetiously.

"I'm sure something can be arranged," teased Charlotte.

"I'll hold you to that," insisted the Chris.

"You can count on it," promised Charlotte.

TBC...


	22. Your Christmas Wish Will Come True

**Author's notes: **I'm well aware that Jericho's father is the famous hockey player Ted Irvine. However, as I've chosen not to use wrestler's real family names/ history etc. I subsequently made up the name of Jericho's father for this chapter. The fact that it mirrors real life, with Lawrence being a professional hockey player is because I felt no other job would be fitting for him.

**Disclaimer:** This chapter contains a passage from _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_ (so obviously, if you haven't read it yet and don't want spoilers you can skip that part.) It goes without saying that Harry Potter does not belong to me, but to the wonderful JK Rowling – man, it's weird writing that in a WWE fic!

**Additional Notes: **Thanks to **Westfan, littleone999, The Niki Reid, annskieesofresh, purplefeather21, Medieval Mystic, jeffhardyfan722, SummerRain173, nicole, Rheya-Goddess **and** sarahy2j** for your wonderful reviews for the last chapter. I don't tell y'all enough how much your continuous support means to me. Truly, I'm awed that so many people are still reading and enjoying this story. I love you all!

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-two: Your Christmas Wish Will Come True **

Charlotte, Chris and Abby arrived at Winnipeg a little after four in the afternoon, and the blonde was surprised to find how cold it was. Grateful of her winter coat, the make up artist wrapped it tighter around herself, as she slipped on her gloves and picked up her suitcase.

Then, she, Chris and Abby got into a cab, and headed to the Canadian's parents' house. The blonde looked eagerly out of the open window for the duration of the journey, as the wrestler pointed out various places to her.

"And that's were I went to High School," he informed, directing her gaze to a large building.

When they finally arrived at the Jericho home, Charlotte was shocked to see it was so large. In comparison to her own small house, it looked almost like a mansion.

It was an old, but majestic looking building, with a sloping, snow covered roof and wide veranda. A long drive way – that was currently housing two cars – led up to wooden steps, and a front porch, which was decorated with cheery Christmas fairy lights.

The front lawn was also covered in snow, and someone had set up a large, illuminated figure of Father Christmas just besides a massive oak tree that blocked the front bedroom from view.

As they climbed out of the cab, a Labrador Retriever came bounding down the front steps.

"Brinkley!" Abby exclaimed, rushing forwards to pet the dog, which was now jumping up to lick her face.

"You wouldn't believe by the way he acts that Brinkley is almost nine-years-old, would you?" commented Chris with an amused laugh, as he ruffled the animals ears.

"Oh, he's beautiful," cooed Charlotte, rushing forwards so that she could stroke Brinkley too. Then, in a cute baby voice she turned to the dog and said, "Who's a gorgeous boy? Yes you are and I wuv you very much already."

"Jeez, if all I had to do to get that type of attention from you was grow fur and a tail, I'd have tried long ago," commented Chris, as he carried their luggage up the porch steps.

Abby burst out laughing, as Charlotte looked up at the wrestler and grinned.

"What? I like dogs, ok?" she returned, shrugging her shoulders innocently.

As Brinkley bounded back into the house, he was replaced by a smiling man and woman, who both appeared to be in their late sixties.

Despite their now greying hair, Charlotte could tell by their features and bright blue eyes that the couple were Chris' parents.

"Grandma, Grandpa," exclaimed Abby, rushing up the steps to embrace her grandparents.

"Hello Abigail," the man greeted, his voice so similar to his son's that it startled the blonde momentarily.

The wrestler bounded up the stairs, and embraced his parents tightly, as Charlotte sheepishly trailed behind, feeling like an intruder on this tender family moment.

"Good to see you, son," said Chris' father, patting the younger man on the back.

However, the wrestler's mother was now looking over her son's shoulders and down at the make up artist.

"And you must be the Charlotte I've heard so much about," she commented, causing the blonde to blush. "Come up here so I can get a good look at you."

The make up artist nodded and headed sheepishly up the stairs.

"It's a pleasure the finally meet you," the older woman began. "I'm Carol and this is my husband Lawrence."

Lawrence broke from his embrace with Abby and turned his attention to the older blonde.

"A pleasure," he said, kissing Charlotte on her cheek. "Now I see why my boy talks about you so much."

"It's a pleasure to meet y'all too," returned Charlotte with a sheepish grin, as her cheeks turned bright red.

"And listen to that accent, it's beautiful," added Carol, lightly taking hold of the make up artist's arm. "Now, come on deary, let's get you in out of the cold."

The group entered the warm house, and made their way into the living room, where a man - so similar looking to Chris, that they could have been twins - was sitting in a large armchair, petting Brinkley.

"Uncle Evan," Abby said, lunching herself into the man's lap.

"Hello pumpkin, causing trouble already?" he teased.

"Never," grinned Abby with a look of mock innocence.

Then Evan turned his attention to Chris, "And you, big brother, get over here and say 'hello' properly," he insisted.

As the wrestler went to catch up with his sibling, Carol once again swooped down on Charlotte.

"Can I take your coat, deary? And do you want anything to drink?" she inquired.

The make up artist smiled and took a moment to compose herself. Everything that had happened in the last ten minutes, since they'd gotten out of the cab, was overwhelming her a little. She'd only just met Chris' family, and already they were being so friendly and welcoming towards her.

"A drink would be great, thanks. And if you point me in the right direction, I'll happily hang my own coat up," she insisted.

"Nonsense, you're a guest," protested Carol, taking the blonde's coat and not taking another word on the matter.

As the older woman disappeared to make drinks, and sort out the luggage, Charlotte's attention turned to the rest of the family.

Evan was still sitting in the armchair, with Abby in his lap and Brinkley at his feet. Chris was sitting on the floor, looking up at his brother, and engrossed in rapid conversation with him, while Lawrence lent up against the fireplace, adding to the discussion of his sons whenever he had the chance to.

Feeling she should go over and make the effort, Charlotte rose from the couch, crossed the room, and then sat on the floor besides the wrestler.

"Hey," Chris greeted, casually slinging his arm around the blonde's shoulder. "Charlie, this is my bother, Evan. Evan, this is Charlie."

"Great to finally meet you," said Evan. "Chris talks about you all the time, so it's good to finally put a face to the name."

"Yeah, it's good to finally meet you too, Evan," returned Charlotte with a warm smile.

As Carol came back with a tray of coffee and a massive loaf of fruit cake, she joined the group of people chatting, and they all remained that way – happily engrossed in various conversations – until dinner was ready.

While Evan set the table, and Lawrence helped his wife serve up, Charlotte, Chris and Abby went upstairs to freshen up.

"And this is my room," Abby announced proudly, opening the door to a room that was decorated in shades of purple and had pictures of 'alternative' bands hanging on the walls, as well as a few photos of her family.

"Great room. I love the wallpaper," commented Charlotte.

"Thanks, Grams helped me pick it out," returned Abby. "Come on, and let me show you the guest room, where you'll be stopping."

The younger blonde then opened the door to a second room, which was decorated in pastel pink shades, and had a very cozy feel to it.

"Oh, this room is lovely," Charlotte commented. "I'm sure I'll be very comfortable here."

Chris lent closer to Charlotte, and whispered facetiously in her ear, "Damn, and here was me hoping you wouldn't like it, and then you'd have to ask to bunk in with me."

"Daddy!" exclaimed Abby. "Stop flirting when Grandma and Grandpa are downstairs."

Charlotte merely shook her head in stunned amusement. The whole situation with the wrestler was making her head spin so much now, that she'd decided not to dwell on it any longer and just go with the flow.

After freshening up, the trio headed back downstairs, to find Carol setting down the last dish of food on the table.

Lawrence was now seated at the head of the table, with Evan at the other end. His wife took the seat to Lawrence's left, Abby sat besides her grandmother, leaving Chris and Charlotte to take the last two available chairs next to each other.

As the couple sat down, Carol smiled knowingly, almost as if she'd purposefully planned the seating arrangement in that way.

Dinner – like in Charlotte's own home – was a happy and noisy affair. As the six people tucked into a wonderfully prepared meal of fried steak, breaded mushrooms, onion rings, salad and home-made fries, they chatted happily with each other.

The men caught up on each other's working lives, as Carol asked Abby and Charlotte about their plans for the following day.

After dinner - and a delicious dessert of chocolate fudge cake – the group stayed seated at the table, as they enjoyed a couple of bottles of beer each.

"Can I try some beer, dad?" Abby asked hopefully.

"Yeah, I can't see why not, it is the holidays after all," replied Chris, tipping a little of the beverage into his daughter's empty glass.

The eleven-year-old took one sip, and then wrinkled her nose up in disgust.

"Yuck!" she exclaimed. "How can y'all drink that? It's horrible."

Everyone gathered around the table burst out laughing, and Carol was quick to comment on how her granddaughter was speaking like Charlotte.

Finally, the lateness of the hour and the fact that Chris, Abby and Charlotte had been on a plane for half of the day got the better of them, and they decided to head to bed.

"Good night, my dears," said Carol. "Do let me know if you need anything."

"Will do, mum," returned Chris.

"And thanks for dinner," added Charlotte. "It was wonderful."

After Abby had said good-night to her dad and the make up artist, Chris and Charlotte were left standing alone in the hallways.

"Well, good-night then," began Charlotte. "I guess I'll see you in the morning."

"Unless you fancy taking me up on my offer, and bunking in with me?" returned Chris facetiously.

"As tempting as that offer sounds, honey, I think I'll pass. I need my beauty sleep and I doubt I'll get any with you snoring," she teased.

"I do not snore," he protested with a pout.

"Well, all the same, I think I'll sleep in my own bed tonight," insisted Charlotte.

"Only tonight?" questioned Chris eagerly. "Does that mean you might reconsider my offer tomorrow night?"

"We'll see," replied Charlotte ambiguously, before winking at the wrestler and then slipping into the guest room without another word.

The Canadian had to physically hold himself back from going into the room and telling the make up artist exactly how he really felt about her.

_Wait until the perfect moment_, he reminded himself.

* * *

Charlotte, Chris and Abby awoke early the following morning to a massive breakfast cooked by Carol. As it turned out, Chris' mum was just a good a cook as make artist's own mother. After eating more than they should have in waffles, pancakes, scrambled eggs and fried bacon, the trio had headed to the Christmas fair that was in town.

Charlotte had never seen anything so spectacular in her entire life. The whole street had been closed off, and rows upon row of stalls, booths and stands filled it. There were stands for everything, ranging from produce grown by locals, to craft stalls, clothing stands, and more food than anyone could humanly consume. At the far end of the street was an ice skating rink and a selection of rides and amusements.

After browsing what was on offer at the various booths – during which time Charlotte picked out a few gifts for her family – Abby insisted that they all go skating.

Despite never being on a rink before, the eleven-year-old was a natural, and was soon skating rings around her father and the make up artist.

As the young blonde did ballerina like pirouettes, Charlotte and Chris stayed near the walls, holding onto each other tightly for support.

Finally, even the little Sasha Cohen prodigy had enough, and they decided to call it a day on the rink. All of their fingers were now turning blue, and Charlotte felt sure she'd never be able to bend again.

As Abby played on the amusement arcade games, Chris and Charlotte sat down to have a cup of coffee and some mini doughnuts.

"She's good out there, isn't she?" commented Charlotte.

"Uh-huh," agreed Chris. "It must be all that time she spent roller-blading over the summer."

Eventually, the trio returned to Jericho's family home, only leaving the fair because it was now growing dark, and the stalls and amusement arcade was closing up for the day.

Abby's arms were fully of trinkets and teddies she'd won on the machines. Additionally, Charlotte's own arms were laden with the gifts she'd brought for her family and a giant pink rabbit plush that the wrestler had won for her on the 'test your strength' game.

That evening, the three of them, along with Lawrence and Carol sat down to another banquet like meal cooked by Chris' mum. Somehow, despite still recovering from the previous day's feast, Charlotte managed a large helping of the wonderfully prepared cauliflower cheese and meatloaf.

Lawrence kept everyone entertained over dinner, by regaling them with tales of his ice hockey career, which lead to a conversation about how good Abby was on the ice, and that she may even follow in her grandfather and uncle's footsteps to become a professional hockey player.

"Nah-ha," protested Abby. "I'm going to be a make up artist, like Charlie."

Everyone gathered around the table laughed, and Carol shot an expectant look between Chris and Charlotte, as only a hopeful mother could.

Finally, a day out in town got the better of Abigail, and she announced that she was going to bed.

After kissing her grandparents good-night, the young blonde insisted that both her father and the make up artist tucked her into bed.

When the eleven-year-old was washed and changed into her pyjamas, she climbed under the covers and requested that Jericho read her a bed-time story.

"Aren't you a little too old for stuff like that now, sweetheart?" protested Chris. "I haven't read to you before bed since you were seven."

"But Daddy, I've been reading _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_ at school, and you do the characters' voices better than anyone else," insisted Abby.

"Ok," conceded Chris. "But only if Charlie helps me too."

The blonde shook her head, claiming she was rubbish at doing impressions, but after a doe-eyed look from the eleven-year-old, she agreed.

With the agreeance of her father and the make up artist, Abby took out her copy of the boy wizard's final tale, and opened it at the chapter she was reading – _The Will of Albus Dumbledore_.

The chapter featured a scene where the book's hero receives a special birthday gift from his love interest, Ginny Weasley.

Jericho read the part of Harry, while Charlotte took the place of Ginny.

"_Ginny looked up into Harry's face, took a deep breath and said, 'Happy seventeenth._'," the older blonde read.

" '_Yeah... thanks.' " _continued the Chris. _"She was looking at him steadily; he, however, found it difficult to look back at her; it was like gazing into a brilliant light_."

Charlotte, acting as Ginny, pretended to penetrate Jericho-Harry with a steady gaze.

" _'Nice view,' he said feebly, pointing towards the window_." Chris read on.

"_She ignored this. He couldn't blame her. 'I couldn't think of what to get you,' she said,_" Charlotte went on.

" _'You didn't have to get me anything.'_'" said Jericho-Harry.

"_She disregarded this too. 'I didn't know what would be useful. Nothing too big, because you wouldn't be able to take it with you.'_ " read Charlotte, acting as Ginny.

"_He chanced a glance at her. She was not tearful; that was one of the many wonderful things about Ginny, she was rarely weepy. He had sometimes thought that having six brothers must have toughened her up,_" continued Chris.

"_She took a step closer to him. 'So then I thought, I'd like you to have something to remember me by, you know, if you meet some Veela when you're off doing whatever you're doing.'_," Charlotte went on.

" _'I think dating opportunities are going to be pretty thin on the ground, to be honest.' _," said Jericho-Harry.

" _'There's the silver lining I've been looking for,' she whispered, and then she was kissing him as she had never kissed him before, and Harry was kissing her back, and it was blissful oblivion, better than Firewhiskey; she was the only real thing in the world, Ginny, to feel her, one hand at her back and one in her long, sweet-smelling hair_ -" Charlotte continued.

Both the wrestler and the make up artist stopped, and stared at the now grinning Abigail. Charlotte had a look of amused shock on her face, and Chris couldn't hide the smile that was lighting up his own features.

"You forgot to kiss her, dad," Abby pointed out, with a cheeky smile.

"And you're forgetting that, unlike Harry, I'm not British, I don't wear glasses and I haven't got a scar on my forehead," commented Chris facetiously.

Charlotte burst out laughing and teased, "No, you haven't taken nearly enough chair-shots to the head for that."

The trio began to laugh again, the wrestler folding down the corner of the page and closing the book.

"I'm afraid the romantic life of Harry Potter will have to wait until another time, sweetheart," he said. "It's getting late and you need to get some rest."

"Will you read to me again tomorrow night?" inquired Abby hopefully.

"Yes, but only if you promise not to ask Grandma to stand in for Ginny Weasley, when Charlie has gone home," joked Chris, placing a light kiss on his daughter's forehead.

"I promise, I'll only get you to kiss Charlie," insisted Abby with a sly grin.

Both Jericho and Charlotte shook their heads in amusement.

"Right, enough chatter, it's time for lights out," said Chris finally. "Sweet dreams, baby, we'll see you in the morning."

"Night, night, honey. Sleep well," added Charlotte.

"Good night," returned Abby, blowing them both a kiss, before snuggling under her duvet.

After making their way back downstairs, Charlotte and Chris headed outside to sit on the back porch of his parent's house. Despite the fact that it was very chilly outside, the couple wrapped themselves in warm clothing and - along with their mugs of hot chocolate - took a thick blanket out with them.

As the make up artist took a seat on the swinging chair, she looked around and realized how festive everything was. Freshly fallen snow was covering the garden, fairy lights and decorations adorned the outside walls of the house, and she could just hear the faint sound of Christmas music coming from inside.

Letting out a deep breath – that caused clouds to form in the air – the blonde sighed and snuggled under the blanket. The day really had been perfect.

After a few moments of silence had passed between them, Chris casually put his arm around the blonde's shoulder, and asked, "What you thinking?"

"Nothing, really," she replied, letting out a deep breath. "Just what a good day it's been and how nice all of your family are."

"Uh-huh. It really has been great," returned Chris with a grin. "I can tell Mum likes you, as she offered you a second helping of the cauliflower cheese first; usually only Abby gets that privilege."

Charlotte giggled and snuggled closer into the wrestler's embrace.

"It'll be a shame when I have to fly home to Jackson tomorrow," she commented. "I could happily stay here forever."

"Well, you're welcome to," he insisted. "I know Abby loves having you around."

"I bet, then the little madam can get us re-enacting Harry Potter scenes again," joked Charlotte. "Do you think she planned on us reading that specific chapter?"

"Knowing Abby, I wouldn't doubt it," teased Chris. "She really has got a mischievous side to her."

"Yeah, I wonder where she gets that from," commented Charlotte facetiously, resting her head on the wrestler's shoulder.

"I claim the fifth," protested Chris with a smirk.

"Naturally," returned Charlotte with a grin of her own. "Because you'd never do something like that, would you?"

"Me? I'm innocent in all of this, baby," joked Chris.

"Yeah right," laughed Charlotte playfully ruffling his hair.

Again, the couple drifted into comfortable silence, both of them thinking over all that had happened that day.

Finally, there was something that the blonde could no longer ignore. She shifted slightly in Chris' embrace, so that she was looking directly into his clear blue eyes.

Ever since her conversation with Ellie on the night of her brother's engagement party, the make up artist had once again been contemplating her feelings for the wrestler.

Despite over-hearing his insistence to Layla that he wasn't ready to date again, Charlotte could no longer disregard what was happening between herself and the Canadian.

They'd just spent a perfect day at the fair with his daughter, and then enjoyed a wonderful meal with his family, which was finished off by the two of them reading Abby a bed-time story. What man, who wasn't interested in dating, would do all of that with a female friend?

Additionally, there was the fact of how well she'd gotten along with his family. Both Lawrence and Carol had welcomed the blonde into their home like one of their own, and when she'd met Chris' brother Evan, they'd clicked so well, that it was almost like Charlotte's relationship with her own siblings.

No, this was more than just a platonic friendship. Much more. Realizing that she had to face her fear of being rejected by the Canadian, and find out the truth, the blonde gazed steadily at him.

"Chris," she began in a low whisper. "There's something I want to ask you about."

"Charlie, wait," he said forestalling her. "I think I know what this is about, and there's something I need to do first."

Charlotte looked at Chris in utter confusion, wondering if he'd been able to read her thoughts, and what he was going to do now. Was he about to shatter all of her dreams, and announce that they couldn't be more than friends? The thought was just too heart breaking to contemplate.

However, the wrestler was now looking deeply into her eyes, his one hand caressing her cheek and the other idly stroking her hair.

Light snow began to fall again, and the flakes fluttered into the make up artist's hair and eyelashes.

Slowly, Chris inched his head closer to Charlotte, as her eyes fluttered shut – anticipating what was to come.

As she prayed for the answer to all of her questions, the blonde could faintly hear music playing in the background, and a romantic Christmas melody filled her head.

_I've been waiting for this special night  
To be with you  
The colors of Christmas are still shining bright  
And I know what we're gonna do_

_Anticipating  
Music is playing  
The magic is in the air (the air)  
All through the season  
You've been the reason  
I have so much love to share _

Then, to her great delight, she felt a pair of hot lips pressed against her own. Charlotte felt her stomach flip-flop with excitement, as Chris' hands cupped her face. Slowly, his lips parted hers, and she felt his tongue slide into her mouth.

The world stopped suddenly, and the blonde felt like nothing else existed. This was what she'd been searching for over the last four years. This was the moment of fireworks going off and angelic choirs singing.

As the kiss deepened and became more passionate, Charlotte felt like a fire had been ignited within her soul. Nothing, in her twenty-nine years of living, felt as wonderful as this. The slight scratch of Chris' stubble against her chin, the intoxicating scent of his cologne engulfing her senses, the feel of his rough hands caressing her cheek and the ardent sweetness of his tongue battling her own, were all perfect.

If it was possible to have died and gone to heaven, whilst living through the best moment of her life, then Charlotte had done just that. If it was imaginable to connect with another person's soul so deeply, then Charlotte had achieved that too. And, if it was conceivable to attain your heart's desire, then the blonde was living proof of it.

Finally, and almost bitter-sweetly, the kiss slowed. Charlotte never wanted this moment to end, and yet she was excited about what would come next.

Sucking her bottom lip seductively, Chris opened his eyes at the same moment the make up artist did. Leaving a trail of hot, sweet, lingering kisses between them, the couple gazed at each other.

"I want this too," he whispered softly. "I've wanted this for the longest time."

"Uh-huh," purred Charlotte in reply. "I always assumed... well I thought..."

She trailed off, as the Canadian silenced her with another series of light kisses.

"I know what you thought," he explained. "The divas told me that you'd over-heard my conversation with Layla a few weeks ago."

"Those cows," said Charlotte with a laugh, as she shook her head. "Trust them not to be able to keep anything to themselves."

"No, it isn't their fault," insisted Chris. "I asked them. I wanted to know what was wrong between us. After I took you out for dinner, I kind of assumed we'd start dating, you know. Then, we had that huge fight at the club, and I had no clue what I'd done to upset you. All I could think was that you'd had a horrible time at dinner, and that you weren't interested any more."

The blonde laughed and shook her head. "You couldn't have been further from the truth. After dinner, I realized that I lov-, how I felt about you and I was all ready to confess. Then, after my moderation session with Valerie Ford, I over heard Layla telling Maryse about how she was going to ask you out. I followed them, to see what you'd say, and that's when I heard you tell her you weren't ready to date. I took that to mean, not just her, but anyone, including me."

This time, it was the Canadian's turn to laugh, as he wrapped his arms tightly around the make up artist.

"First off all, you're so bad for following them," he teased and Charlotte blushed. "Seriously though, I only told Layla that, because well... I was hoping you and I would get it together."

The couple burst out laughing again, and Charlotte brushed her lips against Chris'.

"We're a right pair, aren't we?" she murmured.

"What else do you expect from a couple had their first date in a diner, eating cheeseburgers and fried chicken?" teased Chris.

"Naturally," returned Charlotte with a laugh. "Which brings up a good question. Where are you taking me for our second date?"

"I was planning on Burger King, if you have no objections," he replied facetiously.

"Damn, and here was me hoping for Taco Bell," joked Charlotte.

"Princess, now that I have you, you can ask for anything you want," assured Chris.

"Is that a promise?" she inquired, with an impish smile. "Because I have plans for you on New Year's Eve."

"What type of plans?" questioned Chris, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Oh, I don't know. The type of plans where we don't leave the hotel room all night," she informed with a smirk.

"That sounds good to me," he agreed with a grin. "But haven't we already agreed to go to this party Orton and Cena are throwing?"

"Damn. Yes we have," sighed Charlotte. "Which just means I'll have to find a dark corner to drag you off to."

"If you and the divas can part yourselves from the dance floor for more than five minutes," teased Chris. "Knowing you lot, I'll be lucky to even get one kiss all night."

"Well, in that case, we'll have to compensate for it now," said Charlotte in a very serious tone, before allowing her lips to descend on Chris'.

TBC...


	23. The Longest Time

**Author's Notes: **I'd like to thank **SandraSmit19, The Niki Reid, faxness-rulz, Medieval Mystic, nicole, Wildflower082, Fozzy-Floozy, jeffhardyfan722, Westfan, SummerRain173, chnoelle, Rheya-Goddess, AshMattXoXo, Disco Inferno1, annskieesofresh **and** littleone999 ** for your awesome reviews for chapter twenty-two! It really means the world to me, guys!

**Warning: **This chapter contains mild sexual content that may not be suitable for readers under sixteen. If you'd like a censored version please let me know and I'd be happy to arrange something.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-three: The Longest Time.**

Charlotte sat up in bed, gazed around at the light filtering through the curtains of Chris' guest room, and grinned wider than the Cheshire cat.

The blonde just couldn't believe everything that had happened. Not only was she sitting in bed, in the spare room of the wrestler's parents' house, but the night before she and Chris had shared the most wonderful kiss.

As she recalled the feeling of the Canadian's lips on her own, the make up artist's smile grew, so that it was almost splitting her face, and she let out a little squeal of delight.

_We kissed_, she thought to herself, feeling like a giddy teenager.

Eager to get downstairs, and see Chris, Charlotte jumped out of bed, threw a robe around herself – that covered her pink flannel pyjamas – and put on her fluffy slippers.

Then, the blonde padded softly down the stairs, being careful not to wake any one who may be still sleeping, and entered the sitting room.

Snuggled together, under a blanket on the couch, were the wrestler and his daughter, both of them engrossed by the cartoon film that was on the TV.

"Morning, Princess," greeted Chris, gazing over at the blonde. "Sleep well?"

As Chris pulled back the blanket, and patted the space between himself and Abby, Charlotte's breath caught in her throat and her heart stopped, as she took in his full appearance. He was wearing a white t-shirt, black shorts and his hair was still tussled from being in bed. Finally, after a few moments, she replied.

"Uh-huh. I did, thanks. Did you?"

"Not too bad," he replied, before adding facetiously, "But I'd have been happier if I'd have had some company."

"Brinkley didn't fancy bunking in with you, huh?" teased Charlotte.

Chris smirked, as Abby giggled and shook her head.

"Come here," he insisted, and the make up artist happily obliged as he pulled her down to sit between himself and Abby.

"So, what are you guys watching?" she inquired.

"The animated version of _The Nutcracker Prince_," informed Abby, with a broad smile of her own. "It's my favourite holiday movie, and I watch it with dad every Christmas."

The older blonde grinned, and snuggled deeper into the chair, "Oh, I just love that film, it's so romantic, and I haven't seen it for years."

The trio fell silent, as they continued watching the tale of a young girl named Clara, who has a figurine of a Nutcracker that magically comes to life and whisks her away to the land of the sugar plumb fairies.

'_Nutcracker, I do love you, but I can't stay in the Land of the Dolls forever_,' the TV Clara announced, after the Nutcracker had asked her to stay with him.

"You know, when I first saw that part, I cried my little heart out," commented Charlotte.

"Me too," agreed Abby. "I just wanted them to be together so much."

"At least they got a happy ending eventually, and Clara was reunited with her Prince," noted Charlotte, casting a wistful glance at Chris.

"Well, fairy tales do come true sometimes," he commented, with a grin, as he put his arm around the blonde's shoulder and kissed her lightly on the lips.

Charlotte sighed, and melted into the Canadian's embrace. She truly thought her heart was about to burst with happiness.

Abigail looked hopefully between her father and the make up artist, a delighted smile creeping across her lips.

"Are you two together now?" she asked eagerly.

The older blonde looked sheepishly from Abby to Chris, not quite sure what to say in reply. She felt it was the wrestler's place to tell his daughter about them being together.

"Only if you have no objections, sweetheart," he insisted.

Charlotte's heart stopped momentarily, fearing the eleven-year-old might have a problem with her dad dating again.

"Of course not. I think it's awesome," answered Abby, throwing her arms around the older blonde. "Although, it took y'all long enough."

Chris and Charlotte burst out laughing, and the make up artist pulled the girl into a head lock to give her a noogie.

"Well, it wasn't without you trying to help us along, by getting us to read Harry Potter chapters," she teased.

"What?" questioned Abby with mock innocence. "I told you, I still like having a bed-time story."

Again, the wrestler and make up artist chuckled.

"So, where is everyone else?" inquired Charlotte.

"Mum and Dad have popped to the store to get some last minute groceries," informed Chris. "And Evan is still sleeping, the lazy so-and-so."

"Yeah, Uncle Evan doesn't normally get out of bed until lunch time," added Abby with an amused grin. "Unless Grams' cooking wakes him up."

"Which reminds me, how about I cook my girls breakfast?" suggested Chris, wrapping his arms around both his daughter and the make up artist.

"Sounds good to me," returned Charlotte. "Do you want any help?"

"No, I'm good thanks, but I wouldn't say no to the company," replied Chris.

With a nod, the older blonde rose from the couch, and pulled Chris and Abby up along with her. Then, the trio made their way into the kitchen, where the wrestler presented Charlotte with a mug of freshly brewed coffee, and his daughter with a glass of orange juice.

"So, what do you both fancy?" he asked.

"Waffles and syrup," replied Charlotte and Abigail in unison.

"Waffles it is then," agreed Chris, pulling out the waffle maker from an over-head cupboard.

"When's your flight home?" Abby asked Charlotte.

"Not until early this evening, so y'all are stuck with me for another couple of hours yet," replied Charlotte with a grin.

"Awesome. You can help me attack dad and Uncle Evan with snow balls," announced Abby. "Every year, we have this massive fight, and they always win."

"Don't worry, honey, now that I'm helping you, we'll get them," assured Charlotte with an evil grin.

As Chris served up a huge plate of waffles with syrup and a pot of coffee, Evan appeared in the kitchen.

"Morning bro," he greeted, sitting down at the table and helping himself to a mug of the steaming beverage, before adding. "Morning Abby, Morning Charlie. Did you two sleep well?"

"Yes thanks," replied Abby, before falling silent as she tucked into the waffles.

"Yeah, I did thanks," agreed Charlotte. "Did you?"

"Yes thanks," replied Evan, now starting on the waffles himself, as Chris joined the three of them at the table.

The wrestler sat down next to Charlotte, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed the blonde on the cheek.

His younger brother looked up from his plate of breakfast, and grinned.

"So, Charlie, you finally put my brother out of his misery, then?" he teased.

The make up artist chuckled and nodded her head.

"Well, if I'm offered breakfast like this every day, how could I say no," she replied facetiously.

Chris laughed, and stole the last waffle from the blonde's plate.

"Nah-ha. Next time, you're cooking for me," he insisted.

"Sorry, honey, but I think you're forgetting I can't cook for fudge," protested Charlotte. "I have to get Mama to make all my meals."

"Oh yes, Mrs. Robinson's famous Southern cooking," said Chris with a thoughtful smile. "So, when are you taking me home, so I can see if your mum's fried chicken is really as good as you say it is?"

Charlotte set down her mug of coffee, and looked up at Chris in stunned silence. Even though she'd already met all of his family, they'd only just gotten together, and she hadn't even considered taking him home to meet her own parents. It wasn't that she didn't want Chris to meet her family – actually she couldn't wait – but the make up artist knew how much of a fuss Loretta would make.

After a few moments, the blonde managed to compose herself and replied, "Mama is only just getting over the excitement of CJ and Jeanie getting engaged. I think if I told her we were together, and then I brought you home, she'd have kittens. Maybe after the holiday. Besides, you'll get to meet Ellie at the New Year's Eve party."

"Oh yeah, I'd forgotten you'd gotten her a ticket. I can't wait to meet her, although I fear I'll never get a word in edge ways if you, Ellie and the divas are together," Chris teased.

"I wouldn't worry too much," assured Charlotte. "Ellie has big plans for John Cena that night."

After breakfast was all finished, and the plates cleared away, Charlotte, Chris, Abigail and Evan dressed in warm clothes and headed outside to the back garden to have the fabled snow ball battle.

It was a lot of fun for the make up artist, as it reminded her of the one Christmas during her childhood when it has actually snowed in Mississippi, so she, CJ and Ellie had spent all day making snowmen, snow angels and having a huge snow ball fight.

Due to her flexibility from Cheer-leading in High School, the older blonde was able to get a lot of good hits in on the two brothers. However, due to both Chris and Evan being professional athletes, she and Abby were far out matched – a matter that wasn't helped when Brinkley bounded into the yard, getting under everyone's feet and casing Abby to trip over. The eleven-year-old grabbed the hem of Charlotte coat to support herself, and in doing so, pulled the make up artist down with her. The two females fell to a heap in the wet snow, and as they did so, Chris and Evan pounded them with a torrent of snow balls.

"No fair," squealed Abby. "Brinkley tripped me."

"All is fair in love and snow ball fights," insisted Evan with an evil grin, as he pounced on his niece and began tickling her.

Charlotte tried to help the younger blonde, but as soon as she was on her feet, the make up artist found herself tackled back to the floor by Chris, who began tickling her too.

"Enough, enough," squealed Charlotte, trying to catch her breath.

The wrestler conceded and pulled the make up artist to her feet, as Abby finally got victory over her uncle by putting him in her father's trademark submission move – 'The Walls of Jericho'.

"Nice moves, sweetheart," complimented Chris, embracing his daughter.

"Well, I do learn something when I come to the arena with you," Abby replied with a satisfied grin.

As she and Charlotte began to shiver with cold, it was decided they should all head inside to warm up and have lunch. As Chris made some toasted sandwiches and Evan brewed some coffee, the two females headed up stairs to get changed into dry clothing.

As the older blonde stepped back into the hallways, she found Abby hovering by the door to her own room.

"Erm... Charlie, there's something I want to give you," she said sheepishly and handed the make up artist a card and a small gift. "Just don't open them until Christmas, ok?"

"Oh, Abby that's so sweet of you," replied Charlotte with a huge grin as she pulled the girl into a tight embrace. "I actually have something for you too."

The older blonde slipped back into the guest-room, dropped the present from Abby into her suitcase, and returned moments later with a card and large gift-wrapped box.

"Merry Christmas," she said with a broad smile, as she handed the present to the girl.

"Thank you," returned Abby with a face splitting grin of her own.

"Come on, let's head downstairs and see what the guys have cooked us for lunch," suggested Charlotte, after a few moments of comfortable silence had passed between the two of them.

"Ok, I'll be down in a minute," replied Abby. "I'm just going to put this in my room."

When the make up artist re-entered the kitchen, she found Chris and Evan chatting over a plate of toasted sandwiches and a mug of coffee each. Smiling to herself about how sweet the brothers looked together, Charlotte sat down next to the wrestler.

"Where's Abby?" he inquired, casually putting his arm around the blonde and kissing her temple.

"Still upstairs," she informed. "I gave her a Christmas gift, so she's just putting it in her room, I think."

"No fair. She gets presents and I don't," pouted Chris.

"Don't worry, you'll get yours later," whispered Charlotte, with an impish smile.

Evan rolled his eyes, and kicked his brother's shins under the table.

"Quit that, you're making me feel sick," he teased.

The make up artist looked away sheepishly, as the wrestler made some comment to his sibling about telling their parents about the woman Evan had hooked up with over Thanksgiving.

"I'm afraid you're out of luck there, bro," insisted the hockey player. "Now that you and Charlie are together, mum won't even care that I'm seeing Rebbecca."

"Who says I won't?" someone announced, as Carol and Lawrence bustled into the kitchen, their arms laden with shopping bags.

The three people gathered around the table whipped around to see Carol smiling at them, and then Evan sheepishly slid under the table to escape his mother.

"Oh no you don't, Evan Daniel Jericho. I want to hear all about you and this Rebbecca," insisted Carol, then added as she saw her other son making a bid for freedom. "And don't think I'm finished with you either, Christopher. Getting together with lovely Charlotte and not even telling me."

The blonde blushed, and looked at the floor. Having her new relationship with the wrestler discussed at the dinner table wasn't something she'd really planned on.

However, as it turned out, Carol was even friendlier towards the make up artist now that she was dating the woman's oldest son.

As Charlotte returned to the guest-room to pack up her belongings before flying back to Mississippi, she heard a tap at the door.

"Come in," she said.

Looking up from her suitcase, the blonde wasn't surprised to see that it was Carol entering the room. However, she was a little shocked to see the older woman had a gift in her hand, and was thankful - from experiencing her own mother buying last minute presents for Jeanie – that she'd thought ahead and brought Chris' parents Christmas gifts.

"All ready for the holidays, then?" inquired Carol, as she sat down on the bed.

"Yeah, I am thanks," returned Charlotte. "Are you?"

"Yes, just the turkey left to prepare this evening," commented Carol.

A few moments of silence passed between the two women, as the make up artist continued to fold things into her case. Finally, Chris' mum turned on the blonde with a warm smile and began to speak.

"You know, Charlotte, I'm so glad you and Chris are seeing each other," she informed, gazing directly at the younger woman. "He wasn't the same after he split up for Debbie. Then suddenly he's smiling again, and talking about this wonderful woman he's met at work. I think you're going to be very good for him, and I think it's adorable how much you care about Abby too."

The blonde blushed, and grinned sheepishly. "Thank you, Carol. I know how important family is to Chris, so I'm thrilled that we have your approval. You're right, I do care about Abby a lot, and she's a wonderful girl."

The older woman smiled, and placed her hand on the make up artist's knee. "I hope you don't mind, but I went ahead and got you a little something for Christmas."

"You shouldn't have," insisted Charlotte, slowly turning a deeper shade of red. "But I'm very grateful. I got you and Lawrence something too, but I haven't wrapped them in case you didn't like it, and wanted to take them back."

"You're too sweet, Charlotte," replied Carol, with another warm smile, as she handed the perfectly wrapped present to the blonde. "Merry Christmas."

"And Merry Christmas to you, too" returned Charlotte, handing over the ticket for a pampering day at a luxury spa, and the voucher for a golf taster session – that she'd purchased online when she and Chris had been planning the trip to his parents'.

"Oh, deary, these are wonderful. You're too kind," beamed Carol, her eyes glistening with tears. "My son is very lucky to have you."

"No, I'm the lucky one," insisted Charlotte with a smile, herself feeling overwhelmed with the emotion of the moment.

As Charlotte had now finished up packing, the two women returned downstairs, so that the make up artist could say good-bye to everyone before Chris drove her to the airport.

Abby was very upset about the blonde having to leave, and was sitting in the corner sulking.

"Why can't you just stay for one more night?" she pouted.

"Oh, Abby, sweetheart. I'm sorry," assured Charlotte. "But I've gotta get home and see my own family. Don't worry though, I'll see you again soon, and I promise to call on Christmas day."

"Really?" Abby eagerly.

"Really," insisted Charlotte.

The assurance seemed to pacify the girl, and she tightly embraced the make up artist.

"Have a safe flight home, and an awesome time with your family," she wished.

"You too, honey. I hope you get everything you want for Christmas," returned Charlotte.

The make up artist then turned to the rest of Chris' family.

"Thank y'all for much for having me, I've had a great time and it was wonderful to meet y'all," she said genuinely.

"It's been our pleasure," insisted Lawrence, kissing the blonde on both cheeks. "And thank you for the lovely Christmas present; I always wanted to take up golf and now I have the perfect reason to."

Chris looked quizzically at Charlotte, who mouthed 'I'll explain later', as she turned to embrace Carol.

"Thank you for welcoming me so warmly into your home," she whispered, kissing the older woman on both cheeks.

"Anything for the woman who is making my boy so happy," returned Carol with a smile.

After embracing the older woman one last time, the make up artist turned to Evan.

"It's been great meeting you, Evan. Maybe next time Abby and I will be able to beat you in a snow ball fight," she said, hugging the hockey player.

"I wouldn't bet on it," he teased in return. "Seriously though, it's been good meeting you too."

"I got you a little something for Christmas," Charlotte continued, pulling a gift from her travel bag and handing it to Evan. "Sorry it isn't much."

"Thank you very much," he replied, before turning to the tree and taking a small package. "I brought something for you too."

The make up artist blushed, and gratefully took the gift.

"Thank you," she said with a sheepish smile.

Finally, the blonde turned to Chris with a huge grin on her face and took his hand.

"All ready to go, Princess?" he inquired.

"Uh-huh," she replied, before turning back to the others one last time. "Merry Christmas, y'all."

"You know, you didn't have to buy my family presents," said Chris, as they climbed into Evan's car – which the hockey player had allowed his brother to borrow so that he could take Charlotte to the airport.

"But I wanted to," insisted Charlotte with a shrug, as she hopped into the front passenger seat and fastened her safety belt.

"You just keep getting more and more perfect, don't you?" Chris commented facetiously, as he started up the car's engine.

"I try," teased Charlotte with a sly grin. "Besides, I had to be nice so that your parents invite me back another time."

"Trust me, Princess, even without the Christmas gifts, I'm sure you'll always be welcome at mum and dad's," he assured.

The couple fell into comfortable silence as they rode to the airport, Charlotte more than content just listening to the car radio.

"Oh, I love this song," she grinned, turning up the volume as Britney Spear's _Gimme More _began to play.

"Isn't this the song you and I first danced to, that night in the club?" inquired Chris with an amused smile.

"Uh-huh," returned Charlotte. "It was a fun night, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, it was," agreed Chris. "I remember you and the divas all dressed up for Halloween."

"Oh, god, yeah. And I had those horrible boots on," reminisced Charlotte with an amused grin.

"Hey, I like those boots," protested Chris. "You looked damn sexy in them."

"Maybe I should wear them more often, then?" Charlotte inquired suggestively, raising her eyebrow.

"Only if you want me to lock you away in my hotel room for the rest of your life," commented Chris facetiously.

"Well, I wouldn't be complaining," returned Charlotte with an impish smile.

"Oh, the things I'm going to do to you when we're alone," assured Chris, his features taking on the same lustful look as the blonde's.

"We're alone now," Charlotte pointed out, as she allowed her hand to slowly caress the wrestler's thigh.

"Don't tempt me," joked Chris with an evil grin.

"I wonder what the fine is for pulling up on the road-side," Charlotte mused allowed.

The wrestler turned his full attention to the blonde momentarily, and fixed her with a gaze that was pure sex.

"And what were you suggesting?" he inquired, his voice becoming slightly husky with lust.

"Oh, I don't know. I'm sure we could think of something to get the windows all steamed up," she returned with a seductive smirk.

Without another moment's hesitation, Chris pulled into the nearest lay-by and parked the car. Then, in an instant, his lips were pressed against hers.

Charlotte swooned at the contact, feeling as though a thousand volts of electricity had just coursed through her body, as the vehicle crackled with sexual tension.

While their kiss the previous night had began slowly and gently, before turning more passionate, this time the couple's embrace was full of fervent frenzy the moment the wrestler's tongue slipped into the blonde's mouth.

The make up artist felt her whole body quiver, as the Chris' hands explored every inch of her figure.

As his hands caressed Charlotte's breasts through the material of her shirt, she moaned and ran her fingers through his hair, her own body was now on fire with lust.

Slowly, Chris lifted the garment over Charlotte's head, exposing her pink silk bra.

"Wow," he breathed, as he broke away from the kiss and cupped Charlotte's face. "You really are so beautiful."

The blonde blushed, and looked away sheepishly.

Suddenly, the couple were startled by the sound of another car's horn, and the glaring blaze of flashing lights.

"Damn it," cussed Charlotte, hurriedly pulling her shirt back on and looking longingly across at the wrestler.

"Busted," smirked Chris, as he moved in the seat to adjust himself, hoping it wouldn't be blatantly obvious what they'd just been doing.

A few moments later, there was a tap on the car door, and the wrestler wound down the car window to find two police officers looking at them.

The make up artist flushed, knowing they'd been caught out, and worrying how much trouble they were going to get into. However, she also found it slightly arousing that they'd been stopped by the cops.

"Yes, officers. Can I help you?" asked Chris, feeling slightly frustrated that his moment with Charlotte had been cut short.

"We're just wondering if there was a problem, sir?" the first of the two uniformed men inquired.

"Erm... no. I just had to pull over for a minute, because my girlfriend was feeling travel sick," Chris lied.

Charlotte couldn't help the grin that curled her lips, hearing the wrestler call her his girlfriend, and had to look in the other direction not to give the game away.

"Okay, sir. We just wanted to make sure you hadn't had an accident or anything," said the other officer. "You can be on your way now."

"Sure thing," agreed Chris, re-fastening his safety belt and starting up the engine again.

"Well, that was interesting," commented Charlotte, when they were back on the road and out of view from the police officers.

"I'll say," agreed Chris, with an amused grin, as his free hand caressed the blonde's thigh.

Finally, the couple arrived at the airport, and Charlotte checked in.

"Is some one collecting you when you get back to Mississippi?" inquired Chris.

"Uh-huh. Ellie said she'll pick me up," informed Charlotte. "Will you be okay driving back on your own?"

"I should think so," assured Chris. "At least by myself I won't run the risk of being pulled over by the cops again."

The blonde laughed, and threw her head back. "We're so bad," she said facetiously.

"We?" questioned Chris. "Baby, as I remember it, you were the one that got me so hot and bothered that I had to pull over."

Again, Charlotte laughed, and rested her head on the wrestler's shoulder.

"Maybe next time we should just stop in the hotel, huh?" she suggested.

"And where's the fun in that?" protested Chris.

"You call getting caught by the police fun?" asked Charlotte indignantly. "I've never been so scared in my life." _Or so turned on_, she added to herself.

"Ok, Princess. Next time I get you alone, I'll make sure it's somewhere no one else will bother us," assured Chris.

"Good. Then I can finally have my wicked way with you," she smirked.

"Is that a promise?" Chris inquired, his eyes clouding over with lust.

"You can count on it," she purred in reply..

The couple then fell into a comfortable silence, as they waited for Charlotte's flight to be announced. Finally, the boarding call came, and the blonde rose half-heartedly, feeling slightly emotional at having to be parted from Chris – even if it was only for a few days.

"I guess I'll see you after Christmas, then," she said with down-cast eyes.

"Come on, Charlie, don't pout," said Chris, lifting her chin so that she was looking directly at him. "It's only for a few days, and I'll call you later, so it won't be that bad."

"I know," she agreed. "I'm just being silly. I guess I'm over tired."

"You go home, have fun with your family and get some rest," instructed Chris, kissing her temple.

"I will," she promised. "But only if you do the same? I bet Abby is dying to get some time alone with you."

"Deal," he agreed, wrapping his arms tightly around the blonde. "Listen, Charlie. There's something I wanted to say, that I didn't get the chance to last night."

"Uh-huh," returned Charlotte, motioning for him to go on, while inside her heart was racing.

"Well, I wanted to tell you that... the thing is…," Chris hesitated and ran his fingers through his hair. "Jeez, I wanted this to be perfect and I'm making such a mess of it. And I've completely forgotten the other thing too."

The wrestler released the blonde from his embrace, and began fishing for something in his pocket, while the make up artist looked at him in puzzlement.

Eventually, the Canadian pulled out a small gift from his pocket, and handed it to Charlotte.

"Merry Christmas," he said.

"Thank you," she returned with a beaming smile, before turning to her travel bag and taking a present from it. "I have something for you, too."

Chris smiled, as Charlotte handed him the neatly wrapped package.

"You can't open it until Christmas though," they both said in unison and then burst out laughing.

The couple fell silent again, as the wrestler once more pulled the blonde into a tight embrace.

"That isn't all I wanted to say, though," he insisted, his voice taking on a husky tone.

The make up artist gazed up at the Canadian expectantly, her heart rate racing once more.

"Damn it," Chris muttered to himself, running his fingers through his hair once more, before adding. "I don't know how to say this; I'm not use to all that romantic, fluffy stuff. Charlie, the thing I wanted to say... well, I'm in love with you."

Charlotte froze, her heart feeling like it had just stopped. She stared at the wrestler before her in utter shock, as though he'd just grown horns. The world suddenly stopped spinning and everything else ceased to exist.

The blonde tried to reply, but found her throat unusually dry. As she gasped for breath, the Canadian looked at her hopefully, praying she would say something soon and stop him feeling so awkward.

"I'm in love with you too," she whispered finally, her eyes clouding with emotion. "And I have been for the longest time."

TBC...


	24. He Loves Me

**Author's Notes: **I'd like to thank **alana2awesome, Fozzy-Floozy, nicole, Medieval Mystic, The Niki Reid, SandraSmit19, Westfan, annskieesofresh, jeffhardyfan722, littleone999, Rheya-Goddess **and ** sweetortonlover86**for your awesome reviews for chapter twenty-three. I don't tell y'all enough how much I appreciate every single one of your comments.

Additionally thanks to Gin (Disco Inferno1, USER ID: 339498) and Karen (IMissPadfoot, USER ID: 1133633) for your help with this chapter. You girls are the best!

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-four: He Loves Me.**

Charlotte walked through the airport in Mississippi with a huge grin on her face, she couldn't wait to be reunited with Ellie, and tell her sister everything that had happened between herself and Chris.

Spotting the younger blonde standing in front of her pink V.W Beetle, the make up artist bounded over.

"Merry Christmas!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around the beauty student and embracing her tightly.

"And Merry Christmas to you too," replied Ellie with a slightly perplexed expression on her face, and then holding her sister at arm's length, she looked at the other blonde through narrowed eyes. "Ok, you're way too chipper for having just come off a flight from Canada. Wait, did something happen between you and Chris?"

"Uh-huh," replied Charlotte with a nod of her head, before throwing her arms out, twirling around in a wide circle and exclaiming, "He luuuuuurves me!"

"Yay," squealed Ellie, throwing her arms around her sister as the two women began bouncing up and down in delight. "So, tell me everything that happened."

The make up artist grinned, and then as they climbed into the beauty student's car, she began explaining everything that had happened since the last time she'd seen her sister.

"And when Chris wound down the window to see who it was, it was the cops," finished Charlotte, as they pulled into the driveway of their parental home.

"Now way!" exclaimed Ellie, as they got out of the car and began unloading Charlotte's luggage from the trunk. "Oh my god, that is hilarious. What did y'all say to them?"

"Chris just told them he had to pull over because I was feeling travel sick," Charlotte shrugged in reply, grabbing the handle of the last suitcase.

"So, what was it like?" inquired Ellie eagerly. "I bet he's totally hot, right?"

"Unbelievably. Seriously, Ellie, I have never been so turned on in my whole life. We only got as far as me taking my shirt off, but oh my god, that man makes my body feel things it's never felt before," informed Charlotte with a sigh.

"I can imagine," replied Ellie wistfully. "God, what I wouldn't give to do that with John Cena."

"Well, you might get your chance on New Year's Eve," encouraged Charlotte. "He still isn't seeing anyone, you know. And the last time you came out with us all, y'all hit if off pretty well. Just be laid back with him. Cena is a very chilled out guy, he doesn't like 'in your face' women. Talk to him about music and stuff, he'll like that."

"Ok, I'll give it a try," agreed Ellie with a nod of her head. "Oh, God, what am I going to wear? You know, with class and everything, I haven't even given it a thought."

"Maybe you should wait and see what Farther Christmas brings you," advised Charlotte with a sly grin.

"Ohhhh, has he got me something pretty then?" inquired Ellie eagerly, casting a sideways glance at her sister.

"Maybe," returned Charlotte ambiguously, before dragging her cases up the front steps of the guest house. "Right, I'm just gonna drop my stuff off, and then I'll be straight over, ok?"

"Ok, I'll see you in a minute then," returned Ellie, walking across the front yard to the main house. However, having gotten half way there, she stopped and returned back to her sister with an amused grin on her face. "You do know Mama is gonna have kittens when she finds out about you and Chris, right?"

"Uh-huh," agreed Charlotte with a slight grimace, thinking of all the fuss her mum would make over her new relationship. "Which is why I'm hoping that she'll still be too excited about CJ and Jeanie's engagement and forget to make a big deal out of it."

"I wouldn't count on it," smirked Ellie, skipping back across the yard, and then bounding up the front steps into the house.

The make up artist shook her head, sighed to herself, and then pushed the door to the guest house open. The living room looked, and smelt just like it had when she'd left, which comforted Charlotte greatly. She always missed home when she was on the road, so to find everything the same as it had been before she'd gone made her feel safe and secure.

With a tired yawn, Charlotte dropped her cases off in the bedroom, freshened up, and then headed over to the main house. When she entered the living room, her mum, dad and Ellie were all chatting happily.

"Charlie Lou," Loretta greeted with a warm smile, as she rose to embrace her daughter. "Did you have a good trip?"

"The best, Mama," replied Charlotte with an excited grin. Despite knowing how much of a fuss her mother would make, the blonde simply could not wait to share her news with her parents. "Something happened while I was at Chris' that I need to tell y'all about."

Ellie smirked, knowing what was to come, as both Charles and Loretta looked questioningly at their daughter.

"The thing is," Charlotte began sheepishly. "Well, Chris and I are together now. We spent a wonderful few days together, and then he told me he loves me."

Loretta couldn't hide the grin that spread across her face. "Oh, baby, that's wonderful," she exclaimed happily.

"I told you," Ellie teased in a sing-song-voice.

"I'm very pleased for you, sweetheart," added Charles, with an equally happy expression. "You deserve some happiness."

"Thank you," Charlotte returned with a grin, as she flopped onto the sofa.

"So, when are you inviting him around for dinner so that we can all get to know him better?" inquired Loretta expectantly, and Charlotte knew her mother was already picking out an outfit to wear and planning the perfect meal to serve.

"Well, we have only been together for a few days," protested Charlotte. "Maybe after the holidays, alright?"

The former beautician was about to protest, when Charles interjected.

"Whenever you're both ready is fine by us," he insisted. "Now, tell us about the rest of your trip."

Charlotte smiled at her father's understanding, and after her mother had brought in a pitcher of iced tea and some glasses, she launched into telling them all what she'd done while she'd been in Canada.

* * *

The following day was Christmas Eve, and Charlotte spent the majority of it taking it easy and relaxing. She wrapped the last of the gifts for her friends and family, sorted out all her laundry for when she returned to work, and caught up on some email correspondence to friends she hadn't seen for a few months.

The make up artist then called the divas and Paulo to let them know how her trip had gone. She connected her friends all up to a six way conversation, and then put them on speaker phone, so that they could all hear each other.

"So, how was it?" asked Maria eagerly.

"Yeah, do you have any interesting gossip to fill us in on?" inquired Paulo excitedly.

"I might have," teased Charlotte ambiguously.

"I knew it!" squealed Kelly triumphantly.

"You and Chris got together, didn't you?" added Candice.

"We did!" Charlotte shrieked in delight, a Cheshire cat like grin spreading across her face, even though her friends weren't there to physically see it.

"Oh my god!" screamed Maria.

"That's awesome!" exclaimed Kelly.

"Ok, doll, tell us everything," insisted Paulo.

"Alright," began Charlotte and then launched into the tale she'd told a million times over since she'd reached the airport. However, that didn't prevent the blonde from gushing with excitement over every detail.

"And then, as I was about to leave, Chris told me he had something else he hadn't gotten a chance to say the night before," she concluded almost an hour later. It had taken Charlotte considerably longer this time to tell the tale of her trip to Canada, as every other sentence, one of her friends would interject with a delighted squeal or comment. Not that the blonde minded, she was relishing her friends' attention. "Well, then he reached into his pocket and handed me a gift."

"Oh, what was it?" inquired Maria.

"I don't know, Chris told me not to open it until tomorrow," informed Charlotte. "Anyway. After he'd given me the present."

"That's not all he gave you, I'll bet," interjected Paulo facetiously.

Despite herself, Charlotte burst out laughing.

"Well..." she joked. "Seriously though, can I finish my story?"

"Go ahead, honey. We're sorry, we'll stop interrupting now," assured Candice.

"Ok, as I was saying," Charlotte continued. "After Chris had given me his gift, looked at me, and admitted he was in love with me."

"Oh my god!" screamed Kelly.

"Chris loves Charlotte!" exclaimed Maria.

"And Charlie loves Chris," Paulo added in a sing-song voice.

"We do! We're in love," agreed Charlotte, getting caught up in her friends' hyperness.

It took the six friends another five minutes to calm down after Charlotte's admittance that she and Chris were in love, and when they did, they began discussing their plans to see each other over the holidays.

"Well, I'm going to Josh's the day after Christmas," informed Maria. "He's finally introducing me to his parents."

"That's awesome," commented Charlotte. "I hope y'all have a wonderful time."

"Yeah, we hope it goes really great for you both," added Kelly.

"So, if Maria is busy the day after Christmas, when are you all free, so that we can meet up?" inquired Candice.

"Well, I don't get back from Puerto Rico until the evening of the 29th," explained Paulo.

"Ok, how about we meet up the day after you get back, then?" suggested Charlotte.

"Sounds good to me," agreed Maria, and the others said the same.

"Great, all settled then," announced Kelly.

With the arrangements to meet up all sorted out, the six friends ended their phone conversation and parted ways. Charlotte then headed over to the main house, to enjoy a Christmas Eve meal with her family.

CJ and Jeanie had already arrived, and were sitting in the living room chatting with Ellie, while Loretta put the finishing touches to the food, and Charles laid the table.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" inquired Charlotte as she entered the kitchen and began picking at the plate of cold cooked meats her mother had just set out.

"You can open a bottle of wine, if you wouldn't mind, please?" returned Loretta, getting a few jars of pickles out of the over-head cupboard.

"Sure thing," agreed Charlotte as she began browsing the wine rack for something appropriate to go with their meal. It was always tradition on Christmas Eve for Loretta to serve a selection of buffet style food, including salads, cold cooked meats, cheese and crackers, pickles and pick up snacks like mini pretzels.

"Nothing too heavy," Loretta advised as Charlotte picked up a bottle of Merlot. "Maybe try the Rosé."

The younger woman nodded her head, and selected a bottle of Zinfandel, opened it up, and set it on the table. Charlotte then got the best wine glasses from the cupboard, and placed them next to the beverage.

"Ok, y'all, dinner is ready," called Loretta as she set down the final platter of potato salad.

Charles took his place at the head of the table, his wife sitting to his right, as CJ, Jeanie and Ellie filled into the kitchen and sat down.

Charlotte found herself sitting opposite her mother, and next to Ellie – CJ taking the place opposite his father and Jeanie to his right.

They all began passing dishes around, and chatting, as they tucked into the cold buffet that had been wonderfully prepared.

In the background, Christmas music played, and from the sitting room the glow of fairy lights could be seen.

Charlotte looked around at her family, and grinned. The day was just perfect.

"So, Ellie tells me you and Chris are dating now," commented CJ.

"Uh-huh," replied Charlotte through a mouth full of cheese, cracker and pickle.

"Good on ya, sis. You deserve to be happy."

"Thanks, CJ. I am happy, very happy."

Loretta smiled triumphantly, thrilled that not only was her oldest son planning on getting married, but that her oldest daughter was in a relationship too.

"So, Ellie Lynette, when are you going to find yourself a nice young man?" she inquired.

Ellie rolled her eyes, as Charlotte, CJ and Jeanie sniggered.

"Well, if I have my way on New Year's Eve, hopefully something will happen between Cena and I," Ellie commented.

Charles laughed, and shook his head.

"What is it about my girls and those wrestlers?" he joked.

"What? Would you prefer it if we dated football players?" teased Charlotte.

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with football players," insisted Jeanie, kissing CJ lovingly on the cheek.

"Damn skippy," added CJ with an amused grin.

"Charles Edward Jnr. watch your mouth at the dinner table," chided Loretta.

Jeanie and the two sisters tittered, as CJ hung his head in shame and replied, "Sorry, Mama."

When dinner was over, and all the dishes had been cleared away, the family retired to the sitting room, where CJ and Jeanie insisted that they all opened their gifts from them, as the couple wouldn't be around the following day.

Charlotte scooted across the floor, and began pulling presents from under the tree, as Jeanie took gifts from the bag she'd brought with her. Packages were passed backwards and forwards, until finally, each member of the family had presents in their arms.

"Ok, Mama and Papa go first," instructed CJ, looking at his parents eagerly.

Loretta grinned, and excitedly tore into the package. Despite the fact that the woman was in her mid fifties, she still got as excited as a young child over the holidays – something both of her daughters had also inherited. Her face lit up in delight, as she opened a beautiful, hand woven, silver threaded scarf and matching hat.

"Oh, these are lovely," she cooed. "Thank you, my darlings."

CJ and Jeanie graciously accepted the thankful embrace of Loretta, and then looked expectantly towards Charles, motioning for him to open his gift.

Charles slowly unwrapped the present, revealing a brown leather bound photo album. He peered inside, and then his face lit up with delight. Inside were a collection of pictures both from when he'd played football and then coached it.

"Thank you son," said Charles, his voice sounded chocked with emotion. "Where ever did you find all these old photographs?"

"Well, Jeanie came up with the idea after we heard about you being put forwards for the Mississippi footballing Hall of Fame," explained CJ. "And then I got in touch with some contacts at work that helped me track down all the pictures."

"Thank you so much, both of you," returned Charles wiping a tear from his eye. "This is the best gift ever."

CJ and Jeanie grinned happily and nodded their heads.

"We're glad you liked it," commented Jeanie.

After the album containing pictures of Charles' footballing career had been passed around, it was then the turn of Charlotte and Ellie to open their presents.

Ellie tore into her gift with the same child like excitement that her mother had done, and gasped aloud when she revealed the jade encrusted black leather choker.

"Thanks guys, this is wonderful," she grinned.

"Glad you like it, Squirt," commented CJ with a pleased smile.

"Ok, you next, Charlie," insisted Jeanie with an eager grin.

Charlotte nodded her head, and then ripped open the package, her eyes lighting up as she did so. Inside was a brand new digital camera, complete with photographic printer doc, so that she could make copies of her photographs where ever she was.

"Wow! This is awesome," exclaimed Charlotte. "Thank you so much, both of you."

"You're welcome," returned CJ, thrilled that every member of his family had liked the gifts he and Jeanie had picked out for them.

"Ok, now you two," insisted Loretta.

Jeanie opened the first present – which was from Ellie – and smiled with delight as she revealed a brand new sports watch.

"Thanks, Ellie. This is great," commented Jeanie, moving onto open the package from Charlotte. Tearing back the paper, she opened a voucher for a free months worth of massages at their local gym. "And Charlie, this is wonderful. I know the massages will come in useful after a long day at work."

"You're welcome," returned Charlotte.

"Yeah, we're glad you like the presents," added Ellie.

Jeanie then opened her final gift, which was from Loretta and Charles. As she looked down at the slip of paper, her eyes filled with tears, and she looked up at her future mother-in-law with awe.

"Oh my god. Loretta, Charles, this is the most amazing gift ever," said Jeanie her voice choked with emotion. "Thank you both so much."

Loretta smiled, and nodded her head, thrilled that Jeanie liked the present of having her wedding dress custom made for her by the top boutique in Mississippi and paid for by Loretta and Charles.

Finally, it was the turn of CJ to open the gifts from his parents and sisters. The football player grinned, as he unwrapped the token from Ellie that would allow him to purchase a year's supply of beer from a local liquor store.

"Thanks, sis," he said, embracing Ellie. "This will be great after a hard day at work."

"Glad you like it, CJ," replied Ellie, returning the embrace and kissing her brother on the cheek.

CJ then opened his present from Charlotte, which was a small golden bracelet, engraved with his and Jeanie's initials and the date that they'd gotten engaged.

"Oh, Charlie, thank you," he said, crouching down on the floor to hug his sister. "This is really great."

"You're welcome," returned Charlotte with a delighted smile.

CJ's last present was similar to what his parents had brought for Jeanie. It was a token the entitled him to a custom made wedding suit from the top boutique in Mississippi and paid for by Loretta and Charles.

"Mama, Papa," he began, his eyes filling with tears. "Y'all don't know how much these gifts mean to Jeanie and me. They're going to save us a fortune when we have to start buying things for the wedding, and it's a weight off our minds."

"It was no trouble at all, son," insisted Charles. "We're just so happy that you and Jeanie are finally getting married that we'd do anything to help y'all out."

"Well, we're very grateful," added Jeanie.

As the family chatted about their gifts, and looked though each other's presents, Charlotte announced that she was going to call Chris.

"I wanna catch him before he takes Abby to the airport," she commented. "I'll be back a bit later."

Then, pouring herself a glass of wine, the blonde headed over to the guest house to call the wrestler.

"Hey you," she said when the Canadian answered.

"Hey, Sexy," returned Chris. "Are you having a good day?"

"Uh-huh. CJ and Jeanie came round for dinner, and then we opened presents," Charlotte informed, before listing off what they'd all gotten each other.

"Wow, that's really awesome of your parents to buy CJ and Jeanie's wedding outfits," he commented. "And that's great that they got you a new digital camera."

"I know, I cannot wait to start taking pictures with it," mused Charlotte. "So, how has your day been?"

"Pretty quiet," replied Chris. "Just hanging out with Abby and Evan. You know, she really doesn't want to go home later."

"Aww, bless her heart," cooed Charlotte. "What time is her flight?"

"We've gotta leave in about an hour and a half," informed Chris. "Abby is just packing the last of her things now."

"Oh, cool," she returned. "Debbie is collecting her from the airport, right?"

"Yeah, she flew over to Canada yesterday to meet up with some old friends, so Evan and I are driving to the airport to drop Abby off, and then going out for dinner."

"Sounds good, I hope y'all have a nice evening," said Charlotte. "And tell Evan I said hi."

"Thanks, Princess," returned Chris. "And I will do."

There was then a moment's silence, and Charlotte heard Abby asking her father if she could talk. A second later, the wrestler handed over the phone to his daughter.

"Charlie, I just opened your Christmas present," she informed. "Thank you so much. I love it."

"You're welcome, sweetheart. I'm glad you liked it," said Charlotte, thrilled the girl was pleased with the make up case and guide book she'd gotten for her. "I figured you can keep your growing collection of make up safe, and then start teaching yourself how to do different things."

"Uh-huh," returned Abby. "I've already started experimenting a little. Just before you called, I was up in my room testing out different shades of eye shadow."

"That's great, Abby. How did it go?" Charlotte inquired with a grin.

"Well, I've figured out that orange doesn't look good on me at all," confessed Abby with a slightly crestfallen sigh.

"I wouldn't worry about that too much, honey. Orange make up doesn't really suit anyone," assured Charlotte. "But I bet a nice plum colour would look great on you."

"Oh, it does," replied Abby. "That's what shade I have on now, and I even did my own eye-liner and mascara."

"Way to go, Abs," congratulated Charlotte. "It sounds like you're really getting the hang of it now. I cannot wait to see you again, and see what all your make up looks like."

"Thanks, Charlie. It's only because of you that I'm getting so good at it," insisted Abby. "And I can't wait to see you too. I hope you'll be proud of what I've learnt to do."

"I'm sure I will," insisted Charlotte.

"Ok, I better go now. Dad is yelling at me to get off the phone and finish packing my stuff," informed Abby, and Charlotte knew the girl had rolled her eyes.

"Alright. I'll let you get back to it," agreed Charlotte. "Have a great Christmas and I'll see you soon."

"Thanks, you too," replied Abby, before the line went silent again. A few minutes later, Chris picked the phone back up.

"Abby was just telling me how much she liked the present I brought for her," commented Charlotte.

"Yeah, she really loves it," agreed Chris. "Thank you, by the way. It's really sweet of you getting her something so nice."

"It was nothing," insisted Charlotte. "I just hope you like what I've gotten you. You haven't opened it yet, right?"

"Have you opened yours yet?" Chris returned.

"Nope. I'm a good girl, and always do as I'm told," commented Charlotte facetiously. "So I'm leaving it until tomorrow like you asked me to."

"Good," insisted Chris. "And no, I haven't opened mine either. It's sat under the tree, waiting for the morning."

"Great, I really do hope you like it," Charlotte said again, suddenly fearing the wrestler would hate the gift she'd gotten him.

"Don't worry, Princess. I'll love anything that's from you," assured Chris.

"That's good to hear," teased Charlotte. "Now I know I can just buy you something from a service station and you'll still like it."

"Babe, if you brought me something from a service station, I'd treasure it forever," joked Chris.

"Well, that's a relief, as what I've gotten you is just a can on anti-freeze," said Charlotte factiously.

"Awesome, just what I always wanted," commented Chris with an amused laugh.

"Yeah, that's what I figured," returned Charlotte with a giggle. "Next year, it'll be some WD-40."

"Oh, how you spoil me," teased Chris.

"Shut up," joked Charlotte. "You know you love me really."

"Of course," assured Chris. "Despite the fact you get me service station gifts."

"Well, I didn't want to go over the top and have you thinking you're something special," Charlotte insisted facetiously. "After all, I don't want you ending up with an ego like Orton's."

"Perish the thought," laughed Chris. "I mean, could you really imagine me strutting around the arena calling myself 'The Legend Killer'."

"I dunno, if you changed your wrestler attire to something like Orton's I wouldn't be complaining," teased Charlotte. "I think you'd look very fetching in a pair of those tiny trunks."

"Do you want to get yourself arrested again, Princess?" inquired Chris with an amused laugh.

"Maybe. It was kind of fun getting caught by the cops," insisted Charlotte with an impish grin only she could see.

"Right, that's it. I'm going before you get me into trouble with the thoughts you're giving me," returned Chris. "I'll call you tomorrow, ok?"

"I'll be waiting by the phone," replied Charlotte.

"Speak to you tomorrow, babe," said Chris. "Enjoy the rest of your evening."

"You too, honey. I hope you get Abby back to Debbie safely and have a good time at dinner with Evan," wished Charlotte.

"Thanks," returned Chris. "Love you, Princess."

"Love you too," said Charlotte, a soppy grin spreading across her face, as she clipped her cell shut and flopped back onto the bed.

After taking a few moments to compose herself, Charlotte finished off her glass of wine and then headed back over to the main house.

When she returned to the sitting room, CJ, Jeanie and Ellie were playing on Ellie's Nintendo Wii that she'd brought down from her bedroom. Their parents were nowhere in sight, and Charlotte almost didn't want to ask where they'd gotten to – fearing Loretta and Charles might be doing something gross.

"Where are mum and dad?" she inquired hesitantly.

Ellie scrunched up her nose, and raised her eyes to the ceiling. "They said they wanted an early night, and to say good-night to you," she informed.

"An early night?" questioned Charlotte. "It's like nine o'clock. What are they doing up there? Actually, wait, I don't wanna know the answer to that."

Ellie snorted with laughter, as CJ and Jeanie shook their heads in amusement.

"Gross, isn't it?" joked CJ.

"Just a little," the two sisters replied in unison.

"Oh, leave them alone," insisted Jeanie. "I think it's sweet."

"It is sweet," agreed Charlotte. "Still doesn't mean I need to know about it though."

Again, everyone burst out laughing, and it took them almost two minutes to calm down.

"Ok, sis, do you and Ellie wanna take Jeanie and me on in The Wii Sports game?" inquired CJ.

"Sure, but I warn you now, I'm rubbish at it. Last time Ellie and I played on it, I almost put a window through with the 'Wii-mote,'" Charlotte informed.

"Don't worry, Charlie, I'm terrible at it too," assured Jeanie. "So the teams will be evenly matched."

After playing the sporting computer game for half an hour, during which time Charlotte nearly broke her wrist flailing her arms around in the bowling mini-game, the blonde threw down her 'Wii-mote' and gave up.

"Can't we play 'Wario-ware' instead, I'm good at the dancing thing on that," protested Charlotte.

"Yeah, I bet you are," agreed CJ, and then added factiously. "But some of us here haven't had your training as a cheer-leader."

"You're just saying that because you're a bad dancer," teased Jeanie. "I like that game too."

"So do I," added Ellie.

Outnumbered by the three women, CJ conceded, and they put on Wario-ware. The game consisted of a series of levelled challenges, all of which had to be preformed using the 'Wii-mote' and then cumulating in a 'boss' stage. Taking it in turns to complete a mini game each, they selected the level that would allow them to perform a dance routine should they reach the final challenge.

They were quick to reach the 'boss' stage, and Charlotte took control of the 'Wii-mote' copying every action of the character on screen, as the others cheered her on. True to her word, the blonde excelled at the dance challenge, and they soon completed the game.

"Well done, sis," complimented CJ, as Charlotte took a bow.

"What can I say? I'm a natural dancer," she replied with a huge grin.

"Move aside, Charlie, and let me show you how it's done," teased Ellie, taking hold of the 'Wii-mote' and selecting to replay the final level.

Just as her older sister had done before her, Ellie aced the dance challenge, and did a pirouette around the sitting room in celebration.

"Ok, my go," insisted Jeanie, taking her turn to complete the routine. She too hit every move in perfect succession, and finally it fell to CJ to have a turn.

Due to his build, the football player was awful at copying the dance moves, and after failing the first four, the on-screen computer character booed him off.

Jeanie, Charlotte and Ellie fell about in hysterics laughing at CJ so hard their sides began to hurt.

"Ok, ok. I suck at dancing," CJ admitted finally. "But I still beat y'all on the baseball game."

"Yeah, because you tripped Jeanie when she was in the lead, distracted me on my every turn and Charlie was rubbish," joked Ellie.

"Hey, I object to that," protested Charlotte. "I scored one home run."

"And that's one more than the last time you played," Jeanie good naturedly teased.

"Too true," giggled Charlotte, nodding her head in agreeance.

Finally, they all decided to call it a night, CJ and Jeanie heading back to their own house for Christmas.

"Good night," CJ wished, embracing Charlotte, as Ellie hugged Jeanie. "I hope you have a great day tomorrow."

"Thanks, CJ. You too," returned Charlotte, turning to her future sister-in-law. "Merry Christmas."

"You too, Charlie," replied Jeanie, kissing the blonde on both cheeks. "And thanks again for the present."

"You're welcome," insisted Charlotte. "Thanks for yours too."

Seeing the couple to the door, Charlotte and Ellie waved them off and then locked the house up for the night.

"You wanna bunk in with me?" inquired Ellie.

"Of course, it's a Christmas Eve tradition," returned Charlotte. "Besides, I don't want you getting to the presents first, while I'm still in the guest house."

The younger sister giggled, as they switched off the lights, headed up stairs and found a sleeping bag for Charlotte to use for the night.

Once the two blondes were changed into their pyjamas and settled in bed, they began chatting in quiet whispers.

"Oh, I cannot wait to see what Chris has brought for me," commented Charlotte.

"Have you got any idea what it could be?" inquired Ellie.

"Well, I figure it's jewellery of some sort, as the package is small and rectangular."

"Oh, how romantic."

"I know I'm so excited about opening it."

"What did you get for him?"

"A silver chain with a Celtic cross pendant on it. I saw it a few weeks ago, just after he'd taken me out for dinner, and couldn't resist," informed Charlotte.

"Oh, that sounds great, I'm sure he'll love it," commented Ellie.

"I hope so."

A few moments of silence then passed between the two sisters, as both were absorbed in their own thoughts.

"You know what I really want?" Ellie said finally.

"Erm... John Cena in nothing but a festive bow?" teased Charlotte.

"Well yeah, but besides that, I'd really love to get a job secured for next year when I graduate."

"I'm afraid my skills only go so far as shop brought gifts, but why don't you ask mum about it in the New Year? Maybe she can arrange something with Janice?"

"Or, you could poison the SmackDown make up artist, and get me a job with the WWE," joked Ellie.

"You know I would if I wouldn't end up getting fired for doing so," assured Charlotte.

Ellie laughed, and the two sisters fell silent again, finally both of them falling into a deep and contented sleep.

TBC...


	25. Merry Christmas, everyone!

**Author's Notes: **I'd like to thank **SandraSmit19, Medieval Mystic, Westfan, AshMattXoXo, The Niki Reid, Rheya-Goddess and Fozzy-Floozy** for your awesome reviews for chapter twenty-four. I don't tell y'all enough how much I appreciate every single one of your comments.

Additionally thanks to Gin (Disco Inferno1, USER ID: 339498) and Karen (IMissPadfoot, USER ID: 1133633) for your help with this chapter. You girls are the best!

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-five: Merry Christmas, everyone!**

Charlotte and Ellie awoke early on Christmas morning to the tantalizing aroma of a fried breakfast cooking. It was a family tradition that they started off with a big meal, despite the fact they'd been having a massive lunch a few hours later.

"Presents!" the sisters squealed in unison and raced down the stairs.

Waiting for them both underneath the Christmas tree was a huge mound of gifts, and Charlotte and Ellie wasted no time in opening them. Hurriedly the blondes tore through layers of wrapping paper, 'oohing' and 'ahhing' as they did so.

The sisters then turned to each other, and grinned and they found the gifts from each other.

Ellie tore into hers first, and squealed with delight, as she unwrapped the green, halter-neck mini-dress Charlotte had brought for her.

"Thanks, Charlie. This is lovely," she said, embracing her sister. "It'll be perfect to grab Cena's attention with on New Year's Eve."

Charlotte laughed, and shook her head in amusement.

"You're welcome, Ellie," she returned. "I'm glad to hear it'll be put to good use."

Ellie giggled, and then nodded her head that Charlotte should open her gift.

Charlotte grinned, and excitedly unwrapped the present, gasping in delight as she revealed PVC, bubble-gum pink, heart-shaped purse she'd been wanting for months.

"Oh Ellie, this is fantastic," she beamed.

"I'm glad you like it," returned Ellie.

"Like it? I love it," squealed Charlotte in delight.

A few minutes later, Loretta and Charles entered the room, Loretta handing both of her daughters steaming mugs of coffee.

"Merry Christmas, Charlie," she wished.

"You too, Mama," replied Charlotte looking up with a huge grin. "And thanks for the new pants, they're great."

"You're welcome, baby," replied Loretta, before turning to Ellie and wishing her a Merry Christmas too.

Ellie returned the gesture, and thanked her mother for the new leather boots she'd gotten her.

As Loretta and Charles settled on the sofa to open their gifts, Charlotte and Ellie continued to tear through layers of wrapping paper, revealing various presents like clothes, make up, CDs, books and jewellery.

Finally, the sisters had one large package left each, and they looked eagerly at each other before ripping into them.

Ellie gasped, as she pulled back the paper, and saw a brand new Laptop from her parents.

"Oh, Mama and Papa, thank you. This is the best present ever," she exclaimed joyously.

"You're welcome, sweetheart," returned Charles, a delighted smile on his face.

After momentarily staring covetously at her sister's gift, Charlotte tore into her own and squealed with delight as she revealed a huge, silver make up case, full to the brim with new products, brushes and equipment.

"Thank you, mum and dad, this is awesome," she said excitedly.

"We're glad you like it, honey," replied Loretta.

It was then the turn of Loretta and Charles to open the presents not only from their daughters, but off each other too.

Charles grinned, and unwrapped the first gift, which was a football signed by the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

"Thank you, Ellie," he said after looking down at the tag attached to the wrapping paper.

"You're welcome, Daddy," Ellie replied.

Charles smiled again, and then tore into his next gift, which was from Charlotte, and his eyes lit up as he revealed the season passes to every game of the Bulldogs.

"Thank you, Charlie," he said. "Now I know how I'll be spending my retirement."

"Glad you like it, Daddy," returned Charlotte.

Tucking the football tickets away in the top pocket of his shirt, Charles opened his final gift, the one from his wife.

"Oh, Loretta Mae, this is beautiful," he exclaimed, holding up a sleek new watch, and then kissing her on the lips, "Thank you."

Loretta blushed, and nodded her head.

"It's nothing," she insisted, and then began opening her first gift.

Loretta smiled as she unwrapped the diamond earrings Ellie had gotten for her.

"Thank you, Ellie. These are lovely," she cooed, embracing her youngest daughter.

"You're welcome, Mama," returned Ellie with a beaming smile of her own.

Loretta then moved to the next present and grinned winder still, as she revealed a golden charm bracelet from Charlotte.

"Thank you, Charlie. This is wonderful too," she said, smiling warmly.

"It was nothing, Mama," shrugged Charlotte. "I'm glad you like it."

After putting on her new earrings and bracelet, Loretta then began opening her last gift – the one from Charles. As she pushed away the wrapping paper, her eyes clouded with tears and she beamed at her husband.

"Oh, thank you, Charles," she sniffed, taking the diamond encrusted necklace out of its cushioned casing. "This is really beautiful."

"Anything for you, my love," returned Charles, kissing his wife softly on the cheek.

The family stayed sitting in the living room for a while longer, commenting about each others' presents, until finally Loretta announced that breakfast was ready.

Then, they all headed into the kitchen, for a banquet like meal of friend bacon, grilled sausages, sautéed mushrooms, toast and fried tomatoes, served up with a jug of steaming coffee.

Loretta, Charles, Ellie and Charlotte gathered around the table and tucked in, falling silent for the first time in years, as they were so engrossed in the wonderful food before them.

Finally, with breakfast eaten, Charlotte returned to the guest-house. Ellie was washing up, as her parents' prepared Christmas dinner, giving the blonde the perfect opportunity to spend some time alone.

Despite the fact that she'd told her family about her relationship with Chris – and they'd been thrilled by the news – Charlotte wanted to open her gifts from him and Abby in privacy, and so flopped onto her bed and took the packages from her bedside table.

Starting with the one from Abby, Charlotte opened it slowly. Inside was a small jewellery box, containing a pair of diamond studded earrings.

"Oh Abby," she sighed, overwhelmed by the thoughtfulness of the eleven-year-old.

Attached to the brightly coloured wrapping paper was a hand written card, and Charlotte smiled to herself as she pulled it from the envelope.

In neat, purple handwriting, Abby had left a heart-warming message for her.

_Merry Christmas, Charlie! _

_Hopefully by now, you and Dad will have gotten your acts together, and admitted how you feel about each other. _

_And knowing Dad, he'll have already asked if I mind the two of you dating. Obviously, the answer is of course not, I love both of __you and want to see you happy together. _

_However, I just wanted to tell you personally how thrilled I am about it. Since Mum and Dad got divorced, Dad hasn't the same until he met you. Now he's happy all the time, and can't stop smiling (it's pretty gross actually!)_

_I know at first, I was pretty horrible to you, but then I got to know you better and realized how great you are. _

_You make Dad happier than I've seen him in months, and I'm so grateful for that._

_Anyway, that's all I wanted to say really. _

_Have a great Christmas, and I'll see you soon!_

_Lots of Love,_

_Abigail xxxx_

Charlotte wiped the tears from her eyes, folded up the note and slipped it back inside the draw in her bedside table.

Even though Abby had already said she had no problem with her dad dating Charlotte, for the younger blonde to have gone to the trouble of writing a note to say this touched the make up artist's heart. Knowing Abby had no issue with her dating Chris made it all the more perfect for Charlotte, and she was thrilled the girl was being so understanding and accepting of her dad's new relationship.

With a contented sigh, Charlotte leant back against her pillow, picked her cell up off the table and sent a text message to Abigail.

_Hey Abby! Merry Christmas! Thanks for the wonderful present – I loved it! I hope you liked yours too!_

_Also, thank you for that very heart-felt note. I'm so pleased I have your blessing, it means everything to me. _

_See you soon! Love Charlie xxx_

With the text message sent, Charlotte turned to her final gift – the one from Chris.

Attached to the present was a small tag, which simply said '_I Love you_.'

Charlotte grinned to herself, and began opening the carefully wrapped present. As a small, hard black box fell out, she looked at it with curiosity.

Her hands trembling with anticipation, she lifted the lid, and then gasped in shock. Nestled in the velvet lining was a white gold chain, a heart-shaped pendant suspended from it.

Taking the necklace and attached charm from the box, Charlotte noticed as the light caught the gleaming pink rubies encrusted around the edge of the heart.

"Wow," she breathed, turning the pendant over in her hands and caressing it lovingly.

On the other side was a message engraved on the smooth surface of the precious metal.

_To my Princess with all my Love, Chris xxxx_

Charlotte felt giddy as she stared down at the declaration, and emotion clouded her eyes. It really was the most perfect gift she'd ever received.

The sound of her cell phone going off shook Charlotte from her trance and she picked it up, assuming it was Abby replying to her text message.

Looking down at the caller ID, Charlotte's heart thumped in her when it informed her it wasn't Abby, but Chris.

With a Cheshire cat like grin, the blonde answered the call.

"Merry Christmas, Princess," Chris greeted.

"Merry Christmas to you too, sexy." Charlotte returned "Thank you so much for my present, it's gorgeous."

"I'm pleased you liked it," her replied with an amused laugh. "And thank you for yours, it's perfect."

"You're welcome, babe," she said, referring to the silver chain with a Celtic cross pendant on it that she'd gotten for him.

"So, how has your morning been? Got any good presents?" Chris inquired

"It's been great so far, thanks. I got a new make up kit, come clothes, CDs and books off my parents. Ellie brought me a heart-shaped purse, and Abby got me some diamond earrings," Charlotte informed, with an amused grin. "How about you?"

"Wow, sounds like a good haul. Yeah, I'm having a fantastic day, thanks," he returned. "I got a new guitar from mum and dad. Evan got me a season ticket for the Winnipeg Moose and Abby brought me a watch."

"Sounds impressive," she commented. "Abby really went all out with the presents, didn't she?"

"Yeah, I must be giving her too much allowance," joked Chris. "Did she send you a note too? I got one telling me how pleased she is that we're together."

"Uh-huh, me too," giggled Charlotte. "It was so sweet, bless her heart."

"So, when am I going to see you again?" inquired Chris. "I miss you, and cannot wait to see you wearing the necklace I brought you."

Charlotte giggled and contemplated the question momentarily. "Well, I'm meeting up with Paulo and the girls on the day before New Year's Eve, and then we're back at work. Unless you're free before then?"

"I'm flying home tomorrow, so we could meet up the day after, if you wanted?" suggested Chris.

"Sounds good to me," agreed Charlotte. "Although, it can't be here. I don't think I'm ready to have you meet Mama just yet."

Chris chuckled, and Charlotte knew he'd just rolled his eyes at her comment. "Oh, come on, she can't be that bad? I'm sure if your mum's anything like you, she'll love me."

"That's what I'm afraid of," teased Charlotte. "Seriously though, maybe it would be best for you to hold off coming home with me until after the holidays? You know, to give everyone a chance to calm down a little."

A few moments of slightly tense silence passed between the couple, until finally, the wrestler voiced something that had been bothering him for a few days now.

"Charlie, are you just making excuses because you're having second thoughts?" accused Chris. He was feeling a little frustrated. Even before they'd gotten together, he'd introduced Charlotte to his family, and since telling her he loved her, the wrestler assumed she'd be dying for him to meet her parents. However, this was now the second time he'd hinted at it, and she'd brushed the idea away.

Charlotte was stunned by the question, as it couldn't be further from the truth. She loved Chris, and couldn't wait for him to meet her mum and dad. However, she also knew her mother would make a huge fuss over it, and as they'd only been together for a few days, she wasn't sure she was ready for that yet. Charlotte quite liked the little bubble they were in at the moment, where it was just the two of them, and she knew as soon as they got back to work, their time together would become limited. All she wanted was a few more days of peace, before their lives became hectic again.

"No, I'm not having second thoughts at all," she assured him, and then explained her reasons for wanting to hold off introducing Chris to her parents.

"Ok, I'm sorry for being so accusing, Princess," he apologized. "I see your point now. Soon enough, we'll be flying from state to state, and I'll have Abby to think about too. It'd be nice just to have a few days alone."

"So you don't mind waiting?" checked Charlotte, suddenly feeling guilty for coming across as so uncaring.

"Of course not. We're together now, and that's all that matters," insisted Chris, feeling bad for putting pressure on his girlfriend. "There'll be plenty of time for me to meet your parents."

"Thank you, babe, I'm glad you understand," she returned, her voice softening again. "So, any ideas what you want to do instead?"

"Well, as we've never actually been on an 'official' date, how about I take you to dinner?" he suggested.

"What, no Taco Bell?" commented Charlotte facetiously, before agreeing, "Yeah, dinner sounds great."

"Ok, where do you want to meet up? Where are you meeting the girls and Paulo? Maybe we could book into a hotel or something?" inquired Chris.

"I said I'd meet them in Columbus, Ohio, as that's where the next show is," she informed. "So, how about we meet there and then we won't have to travel about too much?"

"Sure, sounds good to me, Princess," he agreed. "I'll book us a room at a hotel, and make dinner reservations."

"Perfect," returned Charlotte with an excited grin. "Right, I best be off, before Mama thinks I've fallen asleep or something."

"Yeah, I should go too, or Evan will complain that mum is giving him all the chores to so," replied Chris. "I'll see you in a few days, Princess."

"I cannot wait," purred Charlotte in reply. "Enjoy the rest of your day."

"You too," said Chris. "And don't forget, I love you."

"Love you too, babe," she returned, before hanging up and clipping her cell shut with a delighted squeal.

After taking a few moments to calm herself down, and splashing cool water on her flushed face, Charlotte returned to the main house. The necklace Chris had given her was now in a pride of place around her neck, and the diamond earrings from Abby were glistening through her hair.

When Charlotte entered the kitchen, her mother was just basting the goose – having gone for that over turkey, as they'd had turkey for Thanksgiving – her father was peeling some potatoes and Ellie was setting the dinner table.

"You've be a long time over in the guest house," commented Loretta, as she slid the bird back into the oven. "Everything ok, love?"

"Uh-huh," assured Charlotte with a nod. "I was just on the phone to Chris."

"Ohhhh," commented Ellie. "Did the two of you talk about anything interesting? And oh, what is that I see around your neck?"

Loretta snapped around to look expectantly at her daughter. Additionally, Charlotte also had the full and undivided attention of her sister.

Charlotte blushed and grinned sheepishly.

"Oh, this is what Chris got me for Christmas," she explained, taking the necklace off and handing it to her mother for her to look at.

Loretta took the pendant in her hand, and caressed the white gold of the heart.

"Wow, Charlotte, this is beautiful," she commented, handing the necklace to Ellie.

"You're telling me," agreed Ellie, eyeing the pendant covetously. "Chris must really love you."

Charlotte blushed, giggled and nodded her head. "Uh-huh," she replied with a school girl like squeal.

Ellie sniggered, as Loretta looked at her eldest daughter in a very strange way Charlotte had never seen her mother look at her like before. It was a mixture of somewhere between utter delight, pride and slight sadness.

"Soon enough y'all we be getting married and moving out. Then after Ellie is settled down, your dad and I will be on our own," she sighed.

"Whoa, calm down, Mama," insisted the sisters in unison.

"Chris and I have only been dating for a few days, I'm going no where yet," assured Charlotte.

"And I'm not even seeing anyone," added Ellie.

"I'm sorry, I'm just being silly. Ignore me," insisted Loretta. "It's just with CJ and Jeanie getting engaged, I realized how fast y'all are growing up."

"Even if we are, we'll always love and need you, Mama," promised Charlotte.

"Yeah, you're our mum, and we wouldn't even be where we are today without everything you've done for us over the years," continued Ellie.

"Oh, come here girls," Loretta returned, wiping her eyes on her apron and pulling her daughters into a tight embrace. "I love you both very much."

"We love you too, Mama," replied the sisters in unison.

* * *

Loretta out did herself with Christmas dinner. As well as the goose, there were roast seasonal vegetables – like carrots, parsnips, shallots and sweet potatoes. Additionally, there were mashed potatoes, apple and prune stuffing, green beans served in garlic butter, thick rich gravy, dumplings and cranberry sauce.

As Charles opened a bottle of Asti Spumante to have with the meal, Charlotte and Ellie took their seats.

"Merry Christmas, everyone!" Charles announced, popping the cork on the sparkling white wine.

"Merry Christmas!" replied Loretta, Charlotte and Ellie in unison.

The family tucked into their dinner, passing various dishes backwards and forwards and chatting about how great the day had been so far.

Loretta smiled contently, hearing how thrilled her daughters were with their presents, and seeing her husband hungrily eating the food she'd prepared. Even after hours of slaving in the kitchen, she was still full of life, as she watched those around her. Thinking of Christmases gone by, she thought to herself how she couldn't be happier.

Charles ate a mouthful of roast parsnip, leant back in his seat and sighed. For over twenty years, he'd been watching his little girls enjoy Christmas with delight, and even as adults this year was no different. Looking to his wife – who still looked as beautiful as she had on their first Christmas together – he caught a glimmer of the present he'd brought for her around her neck, and smiled to himself. He really was a lucky man.

As she tucked into the dumplings superbly cooked by her mother, Ellie looked around the table and grinned.

There was her mother, flour in her hair and gravy smeared on her cheek, but still looking like a woman to be respected and admired. And her father opposite, his blue eyes still twinkling playfully even at sixty. Then there was her older sister, Charlotte, who had always been more a best friend than a sibling.

Charlotte sipped on her Asti, and glanced around at her family. Her dad, joking as always, as he teased Loretta that her dumplings tasted like rubber, when in reality her cooking had been one of the reasons Charles had married her. And her mother, chiding her husband and threatening to withhold dessert. Even after forty years of marriage, they were still as in love as they'd ever been. Then there was Ellie, who was fast growing into a woman Charlotte felt proud and honoured to say she was related to. She was hard working and uncommonly loyal – who could ask for a better sister. As she looked down at the pendant Chris had brought for her, Charlotte smiled to herself and thought her life couldn't get much more perfect.

Suddenly, all four family members were brought out of their sentimental haze by the smell of burning and the smoke detector going off.

Loretta gasped, and leapt up from her seat.

"Oh my god! The dessert is on fire!" she exclaimed.

Hardly able to hide his amusement, Charles rose to assist his wife, as Charlotte and Ellie sniggered. It wouldn't be Christmas in the Robinson house without something going wrong!

With the Christmas pudding ruined, Loretta had to resort to serving up the vanilla ice cream she always kept in the refrigerator. However, with chopped nuts, grated chocolate and warm syrup to accompany it, the dessert was still very good.

Once dinner was over, and all the dishes had been cleared away, the family retired to the sitting room and put on one of the new DVDs Charlotte had been given for Christmas. As they all gathered around to watch _Pan's Labyrinth_, Charlotte, Ellie, Loretta and Charles had a good laugh over what a disaster dessert had been.

* * *

Charlotte spent the days between Christmas and when she was due to meet Chris doing nothing but relaxing. She'd been feeling a little off since Christmas night, and hoped she hadn't come down with food poisoning or something.

"Hey, Charlie. What'cha doing?" inquired Ellie, as she entered her sister's room and sat besides her on the bed.

"Nothing much, just having a little lay down," replied Charlotte. "I haven't been feeling too good for the last few days."

"Damn, that sucks, especially when you're meeting Chris tomorrow," commented Ellie. "I hope it's isn't anything too serious."

"Yeah, me too. I don't wanna be sick for New Year's," returned Charlotte.

"So, what have you and Chris got planned for tomorrow?" questioned Ellie.

"I dunno," informed Charlotte with a shrug. "He said he's taking me out for dinner, but that's all we planned really. I suppose we'll just make it up as we go along. To be honest, I don't really mind what we do, I'm just excited about seeing him; I've missed him so much."

"I bet," agreed Ellie, before asking with a raised eyebrow. "Are y'all stopping in the same hotel room?"

"Uh-huh. We're both adults, so it's not like it's against the law or anything," returned Charlotte facetiously.

"You know what I mean, dumb-ass," teased Ellie. "It'll be the first time y'all are alone like that, and well, after what happened when he gave you a ride to the airport...well, you know?"

Charlotte shook her head in amusement, blushed and giggled. "Jeez, you're like a six-year-old who's just heard someone say 'boobies'," she joked.

"I'm being serious, Charlie. We all know you're no virgin, but this is pretty special. It'll be your first time together, and you really love him," insisted Ellie.

"Which is why I know everything will be just fine," assured Charlotte. "If something happens, great, but I'm not going to rush anything. There's more to life than sex, you know?"

"You ain't fooling me one bit, Charlotte," protested Ellie. "I know it's gotta be a big deal to you, and I'm your sister, I wanna help. If I was about to spend my first night with John Cena, I'd be shitting it."

Again, Charlotte laughed and shook her head, but then her face became serious and her brow furrowed a little.

"Ok, I'm as nervous as hell, alright," she confessed finally. "When we were fooling around in his car, it was amazing. I mean like nothing I've ever felt before, and in a way that's kind of scary. I haven't felt like this about a guy before, not even Dylan. What if something goes wrong? Or what happens if he thinks I'm no good?"

"Oh, come off it, Charlie. You're a sex kitten and we both know that," assured Ellie.

"Yeah, but Chris is like seriously hot. Damn, even thinking about him and what happened the last time we were together is making my knees weak. I just want everything to be perfect on our first time," sighed Charlotte a wistful look in her eyes.

"Then go in there, and rock his world," joked Ellie.

"Shut up, jackass!" teased Charlotte throwing a cushion at her sister. "I thought you said you wanted to help, but all you've done since you came in here is poke fun at me."

"Ok, I'm sorry. I'll be serious now," returned Ellie with a sheepish grin. "Ok, have you thought about getting some sexy lingerie or something?"

"Jeez, Ellie. That's like the most clichéd idea ever. I don't wanna look desperate and like I've planned this. It's gotta happen naturally," insisted Charlotte.

"Then just grab his shirt, pull him towards you and tell him you wanna screw his brains out?" suggested Ellie.

"Did you listen to nothing I just said about not wanting to look desperate and it happening naturally?" chided Charlotte. "Damn, with an attitude like that, you're gonna eat Cena alive."

"That's the plan," returned Ellie, grinning impishly.

Charlotte threw her head back in amused laughter. "You're terrible, you know that, right?"

"Uh-huh," agreed Ellie with a giggle, as she blew a huge bubble with her gum. "But you love me!"

"Only because we're related," teased Charlotte. "If anyone else made a comment like that, I'd be running for the hills."

"Oh, you're harsh," joked Ellie, and then pounced on her sister and began tickling her.

The sisters rolled around on Charlotte's bed, playfully hitting each other with pillows, until finally the make up artist collapsed on her bed, clutching her stomach.

"Damn," she complained. "I think I'm getting sick. I'm going to have an early night, and hopefully, I'll feel better in the morning."

"Ok, honey. Get some rest, and I hope you feel better soon," commented Ellie, before inquiring. "Do you want me to give you a ride to the airport on my way to school tomorrow?"

"Yeah, that'd be great, thanks," returned Charlotte.

"Alright, I'll see you in the morning, Charlie. Sleep well," replied Ellie.

"Thanks you too," said Charlotte. "Night Night."

Once her sister had left the guest house, Charlotte headed to the washroom to change into her pyjamas, and suddenly felt another cramp in her stomach. Convinced she was going to be sick, the blonde lent over the toilet, but nothing happened.

Feeling groggy, and her head spinning, Charlotte climbed into bed and snuggled down under the duvet. She hoped the strange feeling she'd been having for the last few days was simply down to nerves, and tried to get to sleep.

* * *

The following morning when Charlotte awoke, she was feeling a lot better. A night of rest had done her the world of good. Aside from the odd twinge in her stomach, she was feeling fine – thank god!

The blonde pulled her suitcase from under the bed, and began packing. She had a lot to cram in, as not only did she need clothes for the few days she'd be spending with Chris, but also for lunch with her friends, her return to work and the New Year's Eve party too.

Finally, as Charlotte pushed the top of her case closed, Ellie entered the room.

"How you feeling this morning, Charlie?" she inquired.

"A lot better thanks," informed Charlotte. "Lemme just pop to the rest room and I'll be all ready to go."

"Alright," agreed Ellie. "I'll take your case out and meet you at the car."

Five minutes later, Charlotte climbed into the passenger seat of her sister's car, a small frown on her face.

"What's wrong?" asked Ellie. "You're not feeling sick again are you?"

Charlotte sighed and shook her head. "No, I'm fine. I've just gotten my period a week early is all," she explained.

"Damn, that kinda ruins any plans you had for Chris," returned Ellie sympathetically.

"Uh-huh, I guess it does," agreed Charlotte with a slightly frustrated sigh. "It'll be ok though, like I said last night, when it happens, it happens. What I'm more concerned about is it coming early, I'm usually so regular."

"Maybe your cycle is just a little messed up with the holidays and everything?" suggested Ellie.

"Yeah, I hope that's all it is. I don't fancy a trip to the gynaecologist, I always feel so awkward in there," commented Charlotte.

"You're telling me. Knowing someone is poking around down there give me the Heebie-jeebies," returned Ellie facetiously.

"Ellie, you get the Heebie-jeebies even when you visit a regular doctor," joked Charlotte.

"What?" protested Ellie indignantly. "Those places give me the creeps."

"If you insist, squirt," teased Charlotte. "Damn, I'm going to have to get some pain killers at the airport, these cramps are agony."

"Aww, you poor thing," said Ellie sympathetically. "Make sure Chris looks after you."

"Oh, I plan to," insisted Charlotte. "I'll be asking for lots of sugary snacks all day."

"Well, it could be worse. Now you know why you were feeling sick, and you have a good excuse to eat loads of junk," commented Ellie.

"Damn right," laughed Charlotte with a wicked grin, as they reached the airport. "Thanks for the ride, Ellie."

"Not a problem," assured Ellie. "Have a great time, and give my love to Paulo and the girls."

"I will do," promised Charlotte. "I'll give you a call tomorrow evening so we can arrange everything for New Year's Eve."

"Alright, honey," agreed Ellie. "I'll see you soon. Take care, babe."

"You too, honey," returned Charlotte, taking her suitcase from the trunk and wheeling it towards the main doors of the airport. "See you soon."

"Yeah, I'll catch you in a few days, Charlie!" Ellie called back through the open window of the car, as she pulled out of the parking lot.

After checking in, and putting her case on the luggage carousel, Charlotte headed to the airport shop to grab some pain killers, and came out with a packet of medication, a bottle of Coke and two frosted doughnuts.

Still feeling a little groggy, Charlotte gulped down the Coke, and then took a nap for the duration of her plane journey.

TBC ...


	26. Inappropriately timed women's issues

**Author's Notes: **I'd like to thank **annskieesofresh, Medieval Mystic, The Niki Reid, AshMattXoXo, SandraSmit19, Fozzy-Floozy, shadeana395, Rheya-Goddess, Westfan, littleone999, purplefeather21 **and** Disco Inferno1 **for your awesome reviews for chapter twenty-five. I don't tell y'all enough how much I appreciate every single one of your comments.

Additionally thanks to Gin (Disco Inferno1, USER ID: 339498) and Karen (IMissPadfoot, USER ID: 1133633) for your help with this chapter. You girls are the best!

**Warning: **This chapter contains mild sexual content that may not be suitable for readers under sixteen. If you'd like a censored version please let me know and I'd be happy to arrange something. (Why you'd want to though, is beyond me!)

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-six: I****nappropriately timed women's issues**

When Charlotte arrived at the airport in Columbus, Ohio, she was so excited about seeing Chris that she didn't even notice that her medication had worn off, and that her cramps had returned.

Humming softly to herself, Charlotte collected her suitcase from the luggage carousel, and then headed to the arrivals lounge for the flights from Tampa, Florida – where Chris would be flying in from his apartment in the sunshine state.

Looking around, Charlotte spotted her boyfriend, squealed in delight and then rushed into his waiting embrace.

"I miss you," she whispered, kissing him fiercely on the lips.

"I missed you too, Princess," Chris returned, holding her tightly to him. After a few moments, he broke the embrace and took her free hand – both of their other arms pulling their cases behind them – and gazed at her questioningly. "Are you ok, you look kind of pale?"

"I'm feeling a little under the weather, but I'll be fine once we get back to the hotel," she assured, another wave of pain sweeping over her stomach.

The couple made their way out of the airport, found an available cab, and rode to the hotel Chris had booked them into.

Grabbing her toiletries bag from her suitcase, Charlotte headed to the restroom to freshen up. Despite taking some more pain killers in the taxi on the way to the hotel, she was feeling a little groggy again. Usually, her periods never gave her this much trouble, and Charlotte worried something might be wrong. Vowing to make a doctor's appointment for the next time she was at home, Charlotte tried to put the issue to the back of her mind and enjoy the few days she had alone with Chris.

"Are you sure you're ok, Princess?" he inquired, as she re-entered the room and sat down on the bed. "Tell me if you're getting sick, and I'll look after you."

"Honestly, I'm fine," insisted Charlotte, feeling a little stupid explaining the real reason she was feeling so off. "I just think I need a little nap, if you don't mind? Wake me in a few hours, and we'll get ready to go to dinner, ok?"

"Sure thing, Charlie. Just let me know if I can get you anything," returned Chris.

"Thanks, but I'm good for now," replied Charlotte. "Are you sure you'll be ok on your own if I take a nap? I feel kind of bad for deserting you when we're meant to be spending time together."

"It's fine, Princess. You just get some rest," assure Chris. "We've got plenty of time together, and I'll be right here. I'm sure I'll be able to amuse myself for a few hours with the sports or music channels."

"Ok, thank you," returned Charlotte, kissing him affectionately on the cheek, and then climbing under the covers. "I love you."

"Love you too," Chris said, tucking the blankets under Charlotte's chin and kissing her on the forehead.

When Charlotte awoke a few hours later, Chris was sitting on the bed next to her, gently stroking her hair, as he watched a documentary on VH1.

"Hey," she said, sitting up and wiping her eyes.

"Hey," returned Chris. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah thanks," returned Charlotte, feeling better from the rest, before looking to the clock on the bedside table and inquiring, "What time is it?"

"Just after three," informed Chris, as Charlotte stared in puzzlement at the can of Coke, bottle of pain killers and packet of cinnamon rolls next to her. They hadn't been there before, and for a moment she couldn't work out where the confections had come from.

"Did you get these?" she asked.

"Erm, yeah. I saw your tampons in the restroom, and assumed that's why you'd been feeling so off all day," returned Chris, brushing his fingers through his hair and grinning sheepishly. "So I figured you'd like a little treat when you woke up."

"Bless your heart, that is so sweet," replied Charlotte with a beaming smile, as she pressed her lips to his. "Thank you so much, they're just what I needed."

"It's nothing," insisted Chris, with another sheepish shrug, as he returned the embrace.

When the couple finally broke apart, Charlotte swallowed down two tablets, and then greedily consumed the can of Coke and Cinnamon rolls. For the moment, the pain killers seemed to be doing nothing for her cramps, but the sugar rush was working wonders.

They remained snuggled together in bed for a while longer, happy simply to be together, as they watched TV. Chris idly twirled a lock of Charlotte's hair through his fingers, as she gently caressed his shoulders and arms.

Finally Charlotte sat up and announced, "We should be getting ready for dinner now, so I'm going to take a bath, ok?"

"Sure thing, Princess," returned Chris. "Is there anything you want me to do for you while you're in there?"

"No, I'm good, thanks for asking," she replied, rising from the bed, and taking her robe and a towel from her suitcase.

"Ok," said Chris, taking a change of clothes from his own luggage. "I'm just going to run an iron over my jeans."

"Alright," responded Charlotte, as she slipped into the washroom. "I won't be too long."

Once the bath was filled with warm water, and strawberry scented bubbles, Charlotte climbed into the tub and relished the feel of the hot liquid, as it soothed her aching body. She closed her eyes, and inhaled deeply.

As she lay in the bath, relaxing, Charlotte was suddenly brought out of her tranquil haven by a knock on the door.

"Is it ok if I come in?" inquired Chris. "I need to have a shave and style my hair."

"Sure, the door is unlocked," Charlotte called back.

Chris entered the room, and taking one look at Charlotte in the bath, covered in bubbles, he froze in the doorway.

"Damn," he muttered to himself. "You look good in there."

Charlotte giggled, and shook her head in amusement. _What was he expecting that I take a bath fully clothed?_ she thought to herself.

Looking up at her boyfriend, Charlotte's breath caught in her throat. He was now standing besides the sink, in tight blue jeans, without a top on, as he lathered shaving cream over his face.

"I could say the same about you," she commented suggestively.

Chris turned to face her, his blue eyes sparkling playfully.

"You know, if I wasn't already half dressed, I'd be tempted to join you in the bath," he informed with a raised eyebrow.

"I wouldn't bother," returned Charlotte with a sigh. "The water has gone cold now, so I'm getting out."

"Even better," said Chris with a cheeky grin, as he took her robe off the rail and walked towards her. As Charlotte stood up, he wrapped it around her and lifted her out of the bath. Then, carrying her fireman style over his shoulder, he slapped her ass, strode into the bedroom and set her down on her feet in front of the bed. "Now I have you just where I want you."

Charlotte gazes up at Chris, and was left breathless at the lustful look in his eyes. With an impish smile, she lay back on the bed, and invited him to join her.

"You know, all that's separating your naked body from me is that robe," Chris commented suggestively, his fingers caressing the ties of the garment.

_And all that's stopping me from straddling you right now is inappropriately timed women's issues_, Charlotte thought ruefully to herself.

"I think you're forgetting one important detail," she sighed in reply, thinking that her period couldn't have come at a worse time.

"That doesn't stop me from looking though, does it?" he whispered seductively in her ear, as his fingers untied the robe, and slipped slowly across her naked stomach.

"I suppose not," she murmured in reply, feeling beyond frustrated with the current situation. If Charlotte had her way, they'd be continuing where they'd left off in the car a few days previously.

"Damn, you smell good enough to eat," Chris growled, his hot hands trailing up Charlotte's body and to her breasts.

Charlotte flinched momentarily, as he lightly pinched her nipples. They were beyond sensitive at the moment, and the action that would have usually made her to swoon with desire caused a renewed wave of cramps to course through Charlotte's body.

"I'm sorry, Princess," Chris whispered, placing light kisses across her breasts. "I shouldn't be so selfish; it's just that you look so good."

"It's ok," Charlotte assured him, her voice husky with lust. "I want this as much as you do, but maybe it's worth waiting until I don't feel like I'm going to pass out from pain."

Chris nodded in agreeance, turned over, propped himself up on his elbows and looked directly into Charlotte's eyes, "You know, if you're feeling this bad, maybe we should leave going out for dinner?" he suggested.

"No, we can't do that," Charlotte protested. "I don't want to ruin our plans just because my periods have decided to be evil."

"Princess, my only plans for these few days was being with you," he insisted. "I only suggested going out for dinner because I wanted to do something special for you. If you're not up to it, I won't mind at all. I'd be more than happy snuggling in bed together, getting some take out and watching a movie."

Charlotte smiled, touched by how much he cared for her. "Are you sure you won't mind? Because, to be honest, I don't really feel up to it and snuggling in bed sounds perfect right about now."

"I don't mind one bit, as long as you're happy," he assured her, placing a light kiss on her forehead. "You go and get changed into something comfy, and I'll order some take out. What do you fancy?"

"You decide," replied Charlotte. "You're willing to stop in for me, so the least I can do is let you pick what we have for dinner."

"Ok, is Chinese alright?" returned Chris, throwing on a t-shirt and reaching for the phone.

"Yeah, sounds good to me," Charlotte agreed, rising from the bed and heading back to the washroom to get dressed.

Charlotte returned five minutes later, wearing her favourite pink flannel pyjamas and fluffy slippers, with her hair pulled into a messy ponytail and the loose strands held in place with a cloth headband.

"All sorted?" she inquired, sitting down at the vanity table with her toiletries, as she began removing the remains of the make up she'd been wearing.

"Uh-huh. They said it'll be here in about thirty minutes," Chris informed and then watched Charlotte curiously, as she toned and moisturized her face. "Do you do all this every night before you go to bed?"

"Yeah, or else my skin would get dry and sore," she informed, throwing the used cotton ball into the wastepaper basket.

"Women," Chris muttered to himself with an amused shake of his head. "You're all very strange creatures."

"What?" Charlotte questioned, turning to him in puzzlement. To her, cleansing, toning and moisturizing her face before bed was simply as much a part of her nightly routine as brushing her teeth was. "It's good for you, honestly. Come here and I'll show you."

"No way. I'm not letting you put that crap on my face, I'll smell like Paulo or something," Chris commented facetiously.

"Paulo smells good," she insisted. "Besides, it isn't scented. Go on, let me cleanse your face, I promise, it won't turn you gay or anything."

Chris shrugged his shoulders and sighed, resigned to the fact she wasn't going to give up on this. "Ok," he conceded.

Charlotte grinned, and shuffled along on the stool to allow him to sit besides her. Then, after taking a clean cotton ball, and dabbing it with cleanser, she turned to face him.

"Ok, close your eyes," she instructed.

Chris did as he was told, and Charlotte gently swept the cotton ball over his face. Then, she applied a little moisturizer to her finger tips, and softly massaged it into his skin.

"See, that wasn't too bad, was it?" she inquired once she'd finished.

"No, I suppose not," Chris replied, rubbing his cheeks that now felt unusually smooth. "Actually, it was quite nice."

Charlotte giggled and shook her head. "Men," she teased. "They don't even know a good thing when they see it."

Chris laughed in response, rose from the stool, and went to find his wallet to pay for the takeout that was due to arrive in five minutes time.

When the couple finally had their food, Charlotte switched the TV on, leaving VH1 to play in the background, as Chris took of his jeans, so that he was more comfortable in just his boxers and t-shirt, and sat down on the bed.

"This is just what I needed," Charlotte commented with a grin, as she hungrily ate her noodles straight from the carton with plastic chopsticks.

"Uh-huh. It's good, isn't it?" returned Chris, as he licked the sauce from the spare ribs he'd just eaten off his fingers.

"It sure is," agreed Charlotte, setting down her empty carton and taking a large gulp from the glass of coke on the nightstand.

The couple then snuggled under the covers, and Chris wrapped his arms around Charlotte's shoulder, as they fell into a comfortable silence.

"Man, I wish I could play guitar," Charlotte said after a while, nodding her head towards where _Sweet Child of Mine_ by Guns N' Roses was playing on the TV.

"Well, the next time we're off work, how about you come home to Tampa with me, and I'll teach you to play," suggested Chris, idly wrapping a lock of her hair around his finger.

"Don't you wanna come home to Mississippi with me, and meet my parents the next time we're off work?" inquired Charlotte.

Chris looked thoughtful for a moment, and then said, "Maybe. I think it'd like to have you all to myself for a little longer first."

"Whatever you want to do, babe. I'm happy either way," Charlotte assured him, with an affectionate kiss on the cheek.

The couple lapsed into comfortable silence again, contented to simply be with each other.

Finally, Chris broke the quietness and said, "Listen, Charlie, about earlier. I didn't mean to rush you or anything. Whenever you're ready to take the next step is fine by me."

"I'm ready now," insisted Charlotte. "Only my body has other ideas at the moment. Believe me, there's nothing I want more at the moment than to rip all of your clothes off."

Chris grinned, and a lustful fire lit up his eyes. "Well, I can't deny that it's killing me to be in bed with you and knowing we can't do anything."

"Believe me, it's killing me too," insisted Charlotte with a frustrated sigh. "I know sex isn't everything in a relationship, but it's still important, so to know that we both want to but can't yet is kind of annoying."

Chris looked thoughtful for a few moments, and then he turned to gaze at Charlotte directly in the eyes.

"Listen to me, Charlie," he began seriously. "I love you, and I'm not planning on going anywhere any time soon, so we have plenty of time to think about sex and all that. What's important to me more than anything else is that we're together."

Charlotte kissed him full on the lips, then grinned and laid her head on his chest. "I know that, and I feel the same way too," she returned. "I guess I'm just being silly because I'm all hormonal."

"Which is why I'm glad I'm a guy," Chris commented facetiously.

Charlotte sat up and looked at him through slightly narrowed eyes. "Men," she muttered. "You don't know how easy you have it. We have to go through this every month and then childbirth too."

Chris laughed and tightened his embrace around Charlotte's waist. "Yeah, but now you have me to look after you," he assured, kissing her lightly on the forehead.

"And I couldn't be happier about that," she returned, running her fingers through his hair.

Slowly the couple drifted into sleep, Charlotte still with her head resting on Chris' chest, and him with his arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

* * *

The following morning, Charlotte awoke in a very cheery mood. She'd just had the best night's sleep in her life, and had opened her eyes as the sun peeked through the curtains, to see Chris sleeping peacefully sleeping besides her.

Additionally, the cramps that she'd been experiencing yesterday were gone, and she figured she was coming to the end of her cycle for this month.

Felling a lot better than she had since Christmas, Charlotte carefully climbed out of bed, and took a quick shower, before getting dressed and popping down to the hotel restaurant to see if they were still serving breakfast.

Leaving a note for Chris, explaining where she'd gone, Charlotte slipped out of their hotel room and made her way downstairs to find some sort of food. Her stomach was growling, and if she didn't get some coffee soon, she might go insane.

When Charlotte returned to their hotel room – now armed with a tray bearing a steaming jug of coffee, a rack of toasts and two smaller plates of bacon and scrambled eggs – she found Chris sitting up in bed, watching the morning news.

"And what have I done to deserve breakfast in bed?" he asked with a cheeky smile and a coked eyebrow.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe being the best boyfriend in the world," she replied playfully, setting the breakfast try down on the bedside table, and kissing him passionately on the lips.

"Well, I could get use to this," Chris returned with a grin. "If I get this treatment from you every morning, I'll be asking you to move in with me by next week."

Charlotte looked stunned momentarily, but then her face broke into a wide smile.

"Nah-ha, buster. This is a one time only deal, so don't go getting use to it," she teased.

After the couple had eaten breakfast, and then Chris had showered and changed – during which time Charlotte called the divas and Paulo to double check they were still meeting the following day – they decided to head to the mall for a few hours.

"You know, it's Abby's birthday at the end of January," Chris informed as the couple consulted the shopping centre map, and tried to decide which store they wanted to do first.

"Are y'all doing anything special for it?" inquired Charlotte.

"I know Debbie is paying for Abby and some of her friends to go out somewhere, but I want to do something special for her myself," he replied with a thoughtful look.

"Have you got any ideas planned? I could help you out if you wanted?" returned Charlotte.

"That'd be really great, thanks. Although, I'm not entirely sure when I'll be seeing Abby around her birthday, what with school and work and everything."

"Well, when we get back to the hotel, maybe we could think up some ideas, and then when you see Debbie next and arrange when you're having Abby, we can start planning whatever you decide you want to do?" suggested Charlotte.

"Sounds good to me, Princess," agreed Chris, kissing her on the forehead. "I'm no where near as organized as you, so I'd be lost what to do for Abby's birthday without your help."

"I have my uses," Charlotte returned facetiously, with a raised eyebrow.

The couple exchanged a look, and then both of them burst out laughing, as they held each other's hands and headed to the first store they wanted to visit.

Charlotte and Chris spent the morning browsing the various shops in the mall, not really interested in purchasing anything in specific, but just being happy spending time together. Using some money she'd received for Christmas, Charlotte picked up a few CDs and books she wanted, and Chris brought a strap for the guitar his parents had brought him.

Finally, the couple stopped at a quiet little cafe to grab some lunch.

"What do you think I should wear to the New Year's Eve party?" Chris inquired, as they sat chatting over their meals.

"Erm...how about nothing at all?" suggested Charlotte facetiously.

"See, I was going to, but then figured I'd make Orton feel inadequate," joked Chris in reply, before continuing, "Seriously though, do you want to help me chose something after lunch?"

"Hell yeah," agreed Charlotte, excitedly. "Then I can turn you into my own personal 'Ken' doll."

Chris rolled his eyes, but laughed none the less. "Ok, just nothing too gay, alright?"

"Ha, isn't that a bit ironic coming from the man who wore a silver, sparkling waistcoat for his return to the WWE?" teased Charlotte.

"Baby, I looked hot, and you know it."

"Ok, you got me there," conceded Charlotte with a grin, before returning to the last of her lunch.

Once the couple had finished eating, they continued to browse various clothing stores, this time with the intention of Chris finding something to wear for the New Year's Eve party.

"This would look good on you," Charlotte suggested, holding up a red t-shirt that had the black logo of a phoenix emblazed on the front of it.

"Nah, I don't like red clothing," protested Chris with a shrug.

"What? Are you being serious? Haven't your new wrestling tights got a red design on them?" questioned Charlotte incredulously.

"Yeah, but they're mostly black, with red patterns. It's not like it's the main colour of them. Red is ok teamed with black or something, but it's too much on its own," Chris justified.

Charlotte giggled and rolled her eyes. "And you say I'm fussy when it comes to shopping."

"Hey, I may be picky about what I wear, but I don't spend half an hour deciding which tacky romance novels I want to buy," he teased in reply.

"I have to get something good, or I'll be bored on the plane," insisted Charlotte.

The couple then fell silent again, as they continued to browse through the rails of clothing.

"Ok, what about this?" Chris inquired finally, holding up a black shirt that had silver pinstripes.

"Oh, yeah, get that," agreed Charlotte, her eyes lighting up as she gazed over at the garment, "It'd look really good."

"Alright," replied Chris, throwing the item of clothing into the basket. "I'm all done, unless there's anything you want to get?"

"I'm good, thanks," returned Charlotte. "So how about we just pay for the shirt and head back to the hotel?"

"Sure thing," said Chris, taking Charlotte's hand, as the two of them strode towards the cash desk.

Once they'd paid for the shirt, the couple headed back to the hotel. After quickly freshening up, Charlotte flopped onto the bed, to join Chris where he was watching some music videos.

"So, what do you wanna do tonight?" she inquired.

"I don't know. Is there anything you want to do?" he returned. "Go out for dinner maybe?"

"Well, I said I'd call Ellie later, so we can arrange when she's meeting me for the New Year's Eve party," informed Charlotte. "But other than that, I'm not too fussed what we do. I'm just happy hanging out up here."

"I know that you mean. It's nice isn't it, being in our own little bubble alone?" commented Chris with a contented sign, as he pulled Charlotte towards him, and lace his fingers through hers.

"Uh-huh. Come tomorrow, we won't get a moment's peace with Paulo and the divas around, and then it'll be back to work," reminded Charlotte.

"Tell me about it. Before we know it, it'll be chaos again, with the Royal Rumble approaching," said Chris ruefully. "We won't get a minute to ourselves."

"No, but I don't think it'd have it any other way," insisted Charlotte. "Before I started working with the WWE, I was a make up artist for a talk show on Cable. Despite the show being televised once a week, it was so boring because there were days on end with nothing to do. At least with wrestling, something is constantly happening."

"Yeah, that's true. I know I'd have gone insane while I was away if I hadn't had my book to write and the band," agreed Chris.

"Y'all got plans to make another album any time soon?" asked Charlotte.

"We've got some stuff lined up, but it won't be until later next year. I just want to concentrate on being back with the WWE for a while," informed Chris.

"Yeah, you don't wanna do too much and burn yourself out," advised Charlotte.

Chris nodded in agreeance, and then asked, "So, what are we going to do tonight?"

"Order out again and see what movies are on?" offered Charlotte.

"Sounds good to me. What do you fancy?" returned Chris.

"I could really go for some pizza about now," commented Charlotte. "As for what movie we watch, I'm not too bothered, so you pick one."

"Alright. How about you phone up to order dinner and I'll see what films are available?" suggested Chris.

Charlotte agreed, and phoned a local pizzeria to order some food, as Chris browsed the movie channels to see what was on.

"Ok, dinner will be here in twenty minutes," she informed as she clipped her cell shut. "Did you find anything good for us to watch?"

"Great. Well _S__pider-man_ three is starting in half an hour, if you wanted to see that?" inquired Chris.

"Wicked, I loved the first two. Kirsten Dunst is such a great actress," commented Charlotte. "And I cannot wait to see what happens between Mary Jane and Peter Parker."

"I didn't know you liked comic books?" questioned Chris, smiling in amusement.

"I don't really. CJ was into them as a kid, and I'm kind of interested in X-Men and Spider-man. I love all the comic book movies though," revealed Charlotte with a grin. "Although, X3 sucked big time. I wanted Gambit to come into it, and stop Rogue from taking the cure."

Chris laughed, and shook his head in amusement. "I'd have never had you pegged for a comic book geek," he teased.

"I'm not," protested Charlotte with a pout. "But I'll watch anything with a good romantic storyline."

Chris rolled his eyes and chuckled. "So, you just like the films so you can find out who gets together?"

"Uh-huh, pretty much," giggled Charlotte in reply.

Shortly after the pizzas arrived, the couple snuggled in bed to watch the final installment of the Spider-man trilogy, which told the story of how hero Peter Parker became darker and meaner after boding with an alien symbiote.

After the film had finished, Charlotte called Ellie so that they could make arrangements for the New Year's Eve party. As Charlotte was speaking to her sister, Chris' cell also rang, and he headed into the washroom to answer it, so that they weren't talking over each other.

Finally, Charlotte ended her call to Ellie, and then phoned up to book a joint room for herself and her sister on New Year's Eve, just as Chris returned to the room.

"Did you and Ellie get everything sorted out?" he inquired.

"Yeah, Ellie's booked herself onto a flight over to Columbus, and I said I'd pick her up before work and then she can come to the arena with me," informed Charlotte. "I've also booked me and her into a double room for New Year's Eve."

"Oh, won't you be stopping with me then?" asked Chris, looking slightly disappointed.

"Well, there's nothing stopping me sneaking over to your room," insisted Charlotte with an impish grin. "It's just policy at work for any guest of employees to be booked into a room with them where applicable. Also, if you don't mind, I kinda want to get ready with just Paulo and the girls on New Year's Eve – it's a bit of a tradition we have."

"Of course I don't mind, Princess. I don't want you abandoning your friends just because we're dating," insisted Chris. "Besides, while you were on the phone to Ellie, Cena called and I agreed to hook up with some of the guys in the bar before we hit the club."

"Sick of me already, huh?" teased Charlotte, as Chris came and sat down on the bed besides her.

"Never," he insisted, pulling her towards him and wrapping his arms around her waist, before adding with an amused shake of his head, "But I can't have the guys thinking you've got me under the thumb."

"Oh, but I have," Charlotte commented facetiously, as her lips descended on his.

* * *

Charlotte strode down to the hotel lobby with five minutes before she was due to meet her friends, humming cheerily to herself. For the second night in a row, she'd slumbered like a peaceful baby. There was something about lying in Chris' comforting embrace, with her head resting on his chest, which made Charlotte feel more safe and relaxed than she ever had in her life.

With a little bubble of excitement and anticipation about seeing Paulo and the girls forming in her stomach, Charlotte pushed the hotel doors open, and stepped from the stairwell into the brightly lit lobby.

Chris was still upstairs on the phone, having received a call from Abby while they were getting ready, and had promised to join her a little later.

Not that Charlotte minded too much. She knew Abby was the most important person in Chris' life, and would never want to get in the way of that. Additionally, she was looking forwards to some time alone with her friends, so that they could have a good old gossip.

Still engrossed in her own thoughts, Charlotte was startled by the sound of amused laughter, and looked up to see Candice and Maria entering the hotel.

"Happy Holidays!" exclaimed Maria, rushing forwards to embrace her friend. "Did you have a good Christmas?"

"Yeah, I did, thanks," returned Charlotte, kissing the petite diva on both cheeks, as Candice joined them. "Did y'all?"

"Yes, thanks," replied Candice with a grin. "It's was just me, mum, dad and Amber, so it was quiet and relaxed."

"How about you, Maria?" inquired Charlotte, gazing curiously at her friend. "Because I can tell by that look on your face you're just dying to share something with us."

"I am," giggled Maria in reply, nodding her head repeatedly. "Josh brought me a puppy!"

The diva said the last with a delighted squeal, as she began bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet, while Candice and Charlotte laughed with amusement. However, the brunette got no further with her tale, because at that moment, Kelly and Paulo arrived.

"Happy Holidays," Charlotte greeted, embracing both of her friends in turn. "Did you both have a good Christmas?"

"I had the best time ever," informed Paulo with an excited grin. "Being back home in Puerto Rico, and seeing all my family was amazing. I've got some great photos to show all of your over lunch."

"How were your holidays, Kelly?" asked Candice.

"Pretty good, thanks," the blonde diva replied. "Aiden was actually nice to me for once, so we had a lovely family dinner together."

"That's great," commented Charlotte. "I cannot wait to hear about what y'all have been doing. But first, we need to eat. I'm starving."

"Been working up an appetite with lover boy, have we?" teased Maria. "Actually, where is Chris? You haven't handcuffed him to the bed or something, have you?"

Charlotte burst out laughing and shook her head in amusement. "No, no, no," she insisted. "He's on the phone to Abby and said he'll join us in a bit."

"Oh, right. Ok then," returned Kelly, as the group of friends made their way to the hotel restaurant and found an available table. "So, how are things going with you guys?"

"Really great, thanks," replied Charlotte, as she took her seat and picked up a menu. "We've just spent two amazing days together, and he brought me the most beautiful Christmas present."

Putting down the menu momentarily, Charlotte looked up at her friends, and then showed them the necklace Chris had brought for her.

"Oh my god," squealed Maria in delight. "That is the sweetest thing ever."

"Yeah, it's really gorgeous," added Paulo. "And looks so good on you."

"Thank you," replied Charlotte, with a grin, as she reattached the pendant around her neck. "So, tell me about your holidays. Maria, I want to hear all about this puppy."

As they waited for their meals to arrive, the friends exchanged news, and just before the food was brought over, Chris joined them.

"Everything ok?" Charlotte asked her boyfriend.

"Uh-huh," assured Chris. "Abby just wanted to say hi. I think she's just a little bored at her aunt's. Both of her cousins are still in diapers, so she hasn't got anyone to hang out with."

"Aww, the poor girl," commented Candice. "It's such a shame she can't come on the road with you more often, we could have looked after her."

"Is Debbie still working a lot then?" questioned Charlotte.

She'd never met Chris' ex-wife, and despite the fact the woman had been married to him, Charlotte held no resentment towards her new boyfriend's former partner. From all that Chris had told her, they'd simply broken up because they had married at a young age and then drifted apart. However, whenever Abby was brought into the equation, Charlotte couldn't help but feel a little tense. From everything the eleven-year-old had said, her mother wasn't at home very much, and cared more about her career than she did her daughter. This bothered Charlotte immensely, as she knew for a fact, when she had children of her own, she'd give up working without a moment's hesitation.

"Yeah, apparently, she has an important contract coming up, so she can't take much time off," revealed Chris. "I suppose it'll be easier for her once Abby is back at school though."

"Hopefully," agreed Charlotte with a slightly far away look. She was still thinking about Abby, and how hard it must be for her to not only getting use to her parents' divorce, but then being passed from one relative to another. Charlotte wished there was some way she could help out, but it just wasn't her place to interfere, and so she remained silent, and would let Chris deal with it in his own way.

The group of friends fell silent once their food arrived, but when the meal was finished, they chatted over a few glasses of wine, and continued sharing holiday news.

Maria told them about how Josh had brought her a husky puppy, and that he was keeping it at his house, while she was on the road with the WWE. She also told them about meeting Josh's parents for the first time – just after Christmas – and how they'd accepted her into their family like one of their own. From everything Maria said, Charlotte could tell it was only a matter of time before Josh asked Maria to move in with him.

Paulo's Christmas was equally as exciting, and he'd caught up with family members he hadn't seen in months, as well as finding out he was about to become an uncle for the first time. His older sister, Roberta was expecting, and the baby was due in early July. Charlotte couldn't be more thrilled for her friend, as he adored children, but because of certain adoption laws in the U.S, he might not ever be able to become a father himself.

While Candice and Kelly's time with their families hasn't been nearly as eventful as those of the other two, they'd both still had a really good time. Candice had enjoyed catching up with her fourteen-year-old sister, Amber, who had recently started dating the son of a family friend. Kelly had also had a nice time, for once getting along well with her difficult step-father, Aiden.

Finally, the conversation turned to their return to work the following day.

"How do you think the moderation sessions with Beth will go?" inquired Paulo. "You mentioned that the last one ended well, and that she'd even wished you happy holidays."

"Well, we made good ground in the last session, and both talked about some issues that had been bothering us," revealed Charlotte. "So, hopefully, when we continue with the meetings, things will get even better. I can't see us ever being more than work acquaintances, but at least the hostility seems to be behind us."

"That's really good, Charlie," commented Candice. "With any luck, life at work will be a lot calmer now."

"Yeah, until someone gets fired or something," Kelly said facetiously.

Taking more drinks outside with them, the group of friends gathered around the hotel swimming pool. Despite it being late December, the pool was housed inside a large glass dome - that was fully central heated – so it was actually quite warm, and they all found it very relaxing as they spent the remainder of the afternoon chatting.

Finally, all of them deciding they need an early night, if they were to be fully refreshed for their return to work, and the New Year's Eve party the following day, Charlotte and her friends decided to call it a night.

"Do you wanna come with me to pick Ellie up before work tomorrow?" Charlotte asked Paulo as they made their way back to the hotel lobby.

"Is that your code for 'I've promised my sister a ride, but I can't actually drive'?" returned Paulo with a smirk and a cocked eyebrow.

"Uh-huh. Pretty much," confessed Charlotte sheepishly.

"Sure thing, doll. What time does her flight arrive?" asked Paulo.

"Just after one," informed Charlotte.

"Ok, no problem," agreed Paulo. "Shall we all meet for breakfast in the morning?"

"We can do if you want to, but the divas and I have a pre-show meeting," informed Chris. "So we'll have to leave earlier than you two."

"Damn, it. I forgot about the meeting, and said I'd collect Josh from the airport," commented Maria with a sigh.

"What time were you due to collect him? Because Paulo and I could always meet him when we pick up Ellie," offered Charlotte.

"Just after two, so it would mean you hanging around for an hour," returned Maria.

"That shouldn't be a problem," insisted Paulo. "But what will he and Ellie do while we're all at work?"

"I'm sure, with it being New Year's Eve, no one will mind too much if they go with you," assured Candice.

"Yeah, it'll only be for a couple of hours," added Kelly.

"Ok, you call Josh and let him know Paulo and I are collecting him" said Charlotte. "And then we'll all meet at the arena to arrange getting ready and stuff."

"Sure thing," agreed Maria. "And we're all meeting for breakfast in the morning, right?"

"Uh-huh," returned Chris.

With the arrangements for what was due to be a hectic day all sorted out, the group of friends said good-night, and then headed up to their respective rooms for the evening.

Charlotte and Chris, still feeling full up from their massive lunches ordered room-service sandwiches for supper, and then cuddled in bed, watching TV, until they both fell into a deep and contented sleep.

* * *

The day of the New Year's Eve party could not pass quickly enough for Charlotte and her friends.

When they'd all met up for breakfast that morning, every single one of them were in high spirits and buzzing with excitement.

After a quick breakfast, Charlotte, Chris, Paulo and the divas had gone to get ready, before the wrestlers had to depart for their meeting, and the beauty employees rode to the airport to collect Ellie and Josh.

"So, have you given any thoughts on if you're going to say anything to Jeff tonight?" inquired Charlotte as they climbed into the Latino's rental car.

"No, not really," returned Paulo. "I figured I'll see if anything happens at work today, and then play it by ear at the party."

"Fair enough," agreed Charlotte. "Well, if I hear anything that might interest you, I'll let you know."

"Thanks, doll," replied Paulo.

Ellie arrived in Columbus a little after one, and she was so excited, she was practically bouncing off the walls.

"Oh my god! The party is now only seven hours away," she squealed in delight.

Charlotte shook her head, and laughed in amusement. "Which is why you need to calm your ass down. You'll burn yourself out before we even get to the arena at this rate."

"I can't help it, I'm so excited about tonight," insisted Ellie.

"Excited about seducing Cena more like," teased Paulo with a sly smirk.

"You're a fine one to talk, I hear you're going after Jeff Hardy at the party," countered Ellie.

"Jeez, you two are terrible," joked Charlotte. "I'm so thankful I know who I'll be kissing at midnight."

"Kissing and then some," Paulo whispered to Ellie, causing them both to burst out laughing.

"Damn it, y'all. Calm down. Josh is gonna think we've gone insane when he gets here," commented Charlotte.

"Erm, he is dating Maria, right? She's the most hyper person I know," joked Ellie.

However, when Josh arrived just before two, the trio had calmed down enough for him not to think they were high or something.

The four friends headed back to the hotel, so that Ellie and Josh could drop off their cases, and allow Charlotte and Paulo to collect all they needed for work, and then the quartet went down to the restaurant to grab some lunch, before it was time to head to the arena.

Predictably, on the night that everyone in the company was so excited, the show seemed to drag on and on.

Josh got chatting to WWE photographer, Mitchell Henderson, and the two acquaintances spent the majority of the evening chatting in the crew lounge.

Charlotte and Paulo were inundated with superstars and divas needing their make up doing or their hair styling. Thankfully though, Ellie was there to lend a hand, causing Charlotte to worry that soon her sister would be after her job.

Finally, after what seemed like hours later, the show came to an end, much to the relief of almost every employee in the WWE.

Before leaving the arena, Charlotte had enough time to quickly run around to Chris' dressing room, where she kissed him fiercely on the lips, before telling him she'd see him in the club later that night.

Charlotte then raced back where Paulo, Ellie and the divas were waiting for her. Maria was just explaining to her friends that Josh had gone ahead to the hotel with Mitchell and that she'd arranged to meet him later.

The group of friends then climbed into Paulo's rental car, and made their way back to the hotel, each of them buzzing with excitement about the evening to come.

Finally, with work out of the way, it was time for Charlotte and her friends to get ready for the New Year's Eve party. She and Ellie said good-bye to the three divas and Paulo in the hotel lobby – arranging to meet in the make up artist's room in a few hours – and then they climbed into the elevator.

TBC...

* * *

**A/N2:** Just a quick heads up for y'all, there's only two more chapters of this story left now!! Though, I'm am still 'working' on the sequel!


	27. In The Name of Auld Lang Syne

**Author's Notes: **I'd like to thank **AshMattXoXo, SandraSmit19, Fozzy-Floozy, Medieval Mystic, jeffhardyfan722, The Niki Reid, littleone999, Shiroi Moon, purplefeather21, Rheya-Goddess and Disco Inferno1 **for your awesome reviews for chapter twenty-six. The fact that this story is almost complete, yet I'm still getting this volume of reviews overwhelms me. Seriously, guy, you support means the world to me. Y'all rock!!

Additionally thanks to Gin (Disco Inferno1, USER ID: 339498) and Karen (IMissPadfoot, USER ID: 1133633) for your help with this chapter. You girls are the best!

**Warning: **Once again, this chapter contains mild sexual content that may not be suitable for readers under sixteen. If you'd like a censored version please let me know and I'd be happy to arrange something. (Why you'd want to though, is beyond me!)

**Disclaimer:** This chapter contains lyrics to the song _Genie in a Bottle, _which is owned by Christina Aguilera and her record company RCA Records. Obviously, I receive no profit from the using the song's lyrics in this story, and it's only use here is entertainment. For the standard disclaimer, see chapter one.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-seven: In The Name of Auld Lang Syne.**

Finally, with work out of the way, it was time for Charlotte and her friends to get ready for the New Year's Eve party. She and Ellie said good-bye to the three divas and Paulo in the hotel lobby – arranging to meet in the make up artist's room in a few hours – and then they climbed into the elevator.

"I'm so excited about tonight," Ellie said, as they entered the hotel room they were sharing for the evening.

As it was the holidays, and many employees had friends or family visiting, the wrestling promotion had allowed staff to book their own rooms on this occasion, under the agreement that the bill came out of their own wages. Therefore, the two sisters were sharing a room.

"Me too," agreed Charlotte. "It's going to be so much fun."

"I know, I've got such a good feeling about this party," continued Ellie. "Did you hear what John said to me when I told him I was coming tonight?"

"No, I was still talking to Jeff Hardy, and trying to find out how he feels about Paulo."

"Oh, what did Jeff say?" inquired Ellie eagerly. "Is he interested?"

"Tell me what Cena said first."

"Ok. Well, when I told him I was coming to the party with y'all, he said that was great and hopes that he gets a kiss from me at midnight," informed Ellie, a delighted grin curling her lips.

"Oh my god! That's so great. It sounds like y'all are gonna get it together for sure."

"Maybe. Or he could have just been fooling around. Minutes before Orton had made some comment about me and him hooking up, so I think they were just teasing me."

"Nah-ha," protested Charlotte. "Orton tries it on with everyone, that's no shock, but Cena doesn't. For him to say he wants a midnight kiss from you is a really good sign."

"We'll see," sighed Ellie, with a shrug.

"Yes, we will, and then you'll know I was right," returned Charlotte facetiously, before adding, "So, I was talking to Jeff and he admitted the guy he's interested in is going to be at the party tonight and how he hopes something will happen between them."

"Ok, but how do we know he meant Paulo?"

"Well, if you stopped asking questions, I'd get to that part, wouldn't I?" teased Charlotte. "Then I asked him which department this guy works for, suggesting that maybe I could fish around and see what his chances with him were. At this point, Jeff turned bright red and said he couldn't tell me because then I would know who he was, and that I'd 'match make'. If that isn't a damn sure give away that he's interested in Paulo, then I'm the Queen of England."

"Ohhhh. That sounds hopeful."

"It does, doesn't it?"

"Uh-huh," agreed Ellie. "So what are you going to tell Paulo? Will you let him know Jeff might be interested?"

"No, I don't want to get his hopes up just in case I'm wrong. I'll just give him plenty of encouragement, and make sure he gets tipsy."

"Good plan. Who else do you think will hook up tonight?"

"I dunno. Obviously, Chris and I are together, and Maria is with Josh. The hopefully you and Cena, and Paulo and Jeff. I'm not sure about Candy and Kelly though," replied Charlotte, listing off couples on her fingers.

"Do you wanna try and set them up with someone? It could be fun," suggested Ellie.

"I suppose if we find nice guys, a push in the right direction wouldn't do any harm, right? It worked for me after all."

"It sure did. Ok, do you wanna use the shower first, or shall I?"

"Well, how are you styling you hair? Will it take you longer to do than mine?" asked Charlotte.

"I was thinking about curling it in ringlets, you know, to be a little different. What are you doing with yours?" Ellie returned.

"I was planning to wear it in a high ponytail. I wanna show off the necklace Chris brought me for Christmas, and I think it will look cute now that I've had bangs cut," commented Charlotte, playing with her newly cut fringe in the mirror, and testing out hair styles.

"Yeah, that would be so pretty," agreed Ellie. "Ok, I think my hair will take longer to do, so should I shower first?"

"Sure, that might save time. "I'll make sure our clothes are ok, and don't need ironing or anything."

"Thanks, Charlie," replied Ellie with a grin. "And do you happen to have a strapless bra I can borrow? I totally forgot to pack mine."

"Yeah, there should be a few in my luggage. I brought them with me to see which goes best with the catsuit I'm wearing."

"Great," said Ellie, collecting her robe, a towel and some toiletries. "I'll see you in a little bit then."

"Ok," agreed Charlotte, as she began unpacking both of their suitcases and setting everything out on the bed.

While the beauty student was showering, the make up artist laid out the outfits, and then got their cosmetics and hair styling appliances ready. She hung her younger sister's halter-necked, green, mini dress in the closet, and then picked out the black choker, that CJ and Jeanie had brought Ellie, to go with it.

Next she took out of her suitcase the bottle of Champagne and tulips shaped glasses she'd brought from a liquor store earlier that afternoon. It was a New Year's Eve tradition for Charlotte and her friends to drink the carbonated French wine every year when they celebrated the holiday. It allowed the group of companions to reflect on the twelve months just gone, and discuss their hopes and dreams for the coming year. However, finding Champagne too expensive to buy from the hotel, the blonde had purchased some elsewhere and snuck it in with her luggage.

Pouring herself a generous measure of the carbonated wine, Charlotte licked her lips, and then downed the beverage, relishing the tickling feeling the bubbles from the Champagne caused as they went up her nose, before setting the bottle and glasses on the bedside table for later.

Finally, just as the beauty student returned to the room, the make up artist pulled from the suitcase her thigh high, black leather boots, and stood them at the foot of the bed.

"The washroom's free now," Ellie informed, as she turned on the hair-dryer and began combing out her golden tresses.

"Thanks, sis. Your dress is in the closet, and I set out all the make up on the vanity table," Charlotte shouted over the noise of the appliance, before adding, "Feel free to help yourself to the Champagne that's on the bedside table."

She then grabbed her towel, strawberry scented shower gel and her robe, and headed into the washroom to shower.

When the older blonde returned to the bedroom, she found her younger sister now fully dressed, and applying her make up.

"I'd go with the shimmery jade eye-shadow," she advised Ellie. "It'll go better with the outfit."

"Thanks," returned Ellie. "I was torn between that one and the turquoise one Mama brought me for Christmas."

"No problem," assured Charlotte, as she started to change into her figure hugging, black satin, strapless and hot-pants combination catsuit.

The older blonde then straightened her fringe, and styled it to one side, before pulling the rest of her hair up into a high ponytail that rested on the top of her head.

As the beauty student vacated the stool in front of the vanity table to start curling her hair, the make up artist took her place, and began applying cosmetics.

"Ellie, what lip gloss do you think I should wear?" inquired Charlotte, turning to her sister, with her eyes now lined in Kohl and her cheekbones highlighted with blush.

"Maybe that new slightly tinted one Mama got your for Christmas?" suggested Ellie. "You don't want something too dramatic, with your eyes like that, and it tastes nice too."

"Oh, good thinking. It's strawberry flavoured, so Chris will love it," grinned Charlotte.

Ellie giggled, and went back to styling her hair. It was now curled in tight ringlets around her face, and she was just adding little clip on diamonds to make it extra special for the night.

Finally, the two sisters were ready and both of them stood in front of the full length mirror, admiring their appearances.

Charlotte was dressed in her catsuit, and the outfit was completed with thigh high, black leather boots, a wide sparkling pink belt and matching bracelets. In pride of place, nestled between the blonde's breasts was the gleaming 'C' shaped pendant Chris had brought her for Christmas.

Ellie too was all ready for the party, in the dress Charlotte had gotten for her, along with the black choker and matching arm cuff's her sister had picked out.

The sisters turned to each other and grinned widely.

"Happy New Year's, babe," Charlotte said.

"You too, honey. I hope this coming year holds everything you hope for," returned Ellie.

"You know, I think it just might," replied Charlotte with a smirk, as her hand subconsciously reached down to caress the pendant Chris had brought her.

The two women then took seats on the bed, and poured themselves a glass of Champagne each, as they waited for their friends to arrive.

"So, any more thoughts on what you're going to say to Cena?" Charlotte inquired.

"I think I'm gonna take your advice and just keep it casual. I'll chat to him about music, work and stuff," shrugged Ellie. "I suppose if he hangs around, I'll know he's interested."

"Good thinking," agreed Charlotte. "Just make sure you know where he is when the clock strikes mid-night."

Suddenly a knock sounded on the door, and the make up artist leapt up to answer it. Standing on the other side was Candice, and she was dressed in a glossy, purple PVC boob-tube and matching panties that had leg sections attached to them with black suspenders.

Charlotte grinned at her friend, and opened the door wider to allow her entrance into the room.

"Hot damn, Candy," she exclaimed. "You look amazing!"

The brunette diva blushed and giggled, "Well, it is New Year's after all," she insisted. "Anyway, what are you talking about? You're the one who looks amazing. When Chris sees you in that outfit, he won't be able to keep his hands off you."

"That's the intention," smirked Charlotte, as they both sat down on the bed and Ellie handed them glasses of Champagne.

"Hey, Ellie," Candice greeted. "Wow, I love your dress. Is that the one Charlie got you for Christmas?"

"Uh-huh," replied Ellie, downing her glass of wine. "I'm hoping it will get Cena's attention tonight."

"Damn straight it will," encouraged Candice, as she too finished off the last of her Champagne.

"More?" inquired Charlotte with a giggle, holding up the now half empty bottle. The bubbles had already started going to her head!

"Shouldn't we wait for the others?" protested Candice.

"Nah, it'll be ok. I think both Maria and Kelly are bringing some more," insisted Charlotte. "Besides it's New Year's."

"Ok then," agreed the other two women in unison, as they finished off the bottle.

"To male attention grabbing outfits," toasted Ellie, clinking her glass with the other two's.

"Here, here," acceded Charlotte with an impish grin.

The three women then collapsed on the bed in fits of giggles, only calming down when they heard a hammering sound at the door.

"Oppsie," snorted Candice, rising to answer it.

Waiting on the other side was Maria, wearing a black sequinned mini-dress, that she'd accessorised with lace fingerless gloves, five inch high stilettos shoes and thankfully holding another bottle of Champagne.

"What took you so long?" she inquired. "I've been knocking for like five minutes."

"Sorry," Candice giggled in reply. "Oh, is that more wine? Goody."

"Are you three drunk already?" Maria asked indignantly.

"Maybe just a little," laughed Ellie.

"We've only had one bottle," protested Charlotte.

Again, the three women burst out laughing, and this time Maria joined in with them, as they sat on the bed and got started on the second bottle of wine.

"Is Josh still in the bar with Mitchell?" asked Candice.

"Uh-huh, when I told him I was coming round to Charlie's room for a drink before the party, he said he'd go and hook up with some of the guys for a few drinks, and leave us to have a bit of a girlie moment," informed Maria with an amused grin. "Bless his heart. He said he'll meet us in the club later."

"You know, I think Chris is down in the bar with Orton and Cena. Do you want me to give him a call, and ask them to keep their eyes out for Josh?" asked Charlotte.

"That would be great, thanks," returned Maria with a delighted smile.

A few minutes later, the make up artist clipped her cell shut, and grinned at her friends.

"Josh is already with them and a few of the others," she informed. "The guys told me we should have a good time, and they'll meet us in the club later."

"Awesome," replied Maria. "Let's have another drink then."

"To considerate men!" toasted Charlotte.

"And what total hotties they are!" added Ellie, as the four women downed their glasses of Champagne.

Startling the giggling friends from their drunken excitement was another knock on the door.

"My turn," squealed Ellie, leaping to her feet and racing to answer it.

Waiting on the other side was Kelly, dressed in a semi-transparent, golden camisole – with a bra in the same shade underneath – and light blue, cut off, denim short shorts. The outfit was teamed with brown suede boots, a tassled belt in the same shade and material, and chunky brown jewellery.

"Happy New Year's!" Ellie exclaimed embracing the diva tightly. "Come in and have a drink."

The ECW wrestler happily obliged, bringing with her yet a third bottle of Champagne.

"Oh, goody. We're almost out," commented Charlotte, slurping the last few dregs from the bottom of the bottle.

Candice poured them each a generous measure of the wine, and then announced, "To an endless supply of alcohol!"

"And for being plastered before we even get out of the hotel room!" giggled Maria.

Finally, Paulo arrived, just in time to get a few glasses of Champagne out of the third bottle. The Latino was wearing figure hugging white jeans, the new cowboy boots he'd brought with Charlotte a few weeks ago, and a tight fitting black shirt, which had the top three buttons undone, to show off his tanned and toned chest.

"Oh, look at my girls," he shrieked in delight, appraising each of the women's outfits in turn. "You all look fabulous!"

"As do you," returned Charlotte with a grin. "You're gonna knock Jeff Hardy's socks off when he sees you later."

"And how do you know he hasn't already seen me?" teased Paulo ambiguously.

The five women look scandalized momentarily, before collapsing in fits of giggles.

"Go Paulo!" cheered Ellie.

Finally, the six friends finished off all the bottles of Champagne, and decided it was high time they left the hotel, before they were too damn drunk to even get to the party.

Charlotte called for a cab, as the others pulled on their jackets and made sure they had everything they'd need for the night – like purses, cell phones, and make up supplies.

Still giggling, and stumbling about slightly, the group of friends filed down to the lobby, and then into the taxi that was waiting just outside for them.

Despite it being New Year's Eve, the traffic was minimal, and they soon arrived at the night club, which had been hired exclusively by the WWE to act as a venue for the party.

After showing the doorman their tickets, and proving they were indeed employees of the wrestling promotion - or in Ellie's case the sister of a WWE employee with permission to attend - they made their way inside.

The make up artist and her companions each took in deep breaths, as the atmosphere of the club hit them. Already the sound of loud music pumping, friendly chatter and delighted laughter could be heard buzzing through the venue.

After dropping off their coats in the cloak room, Charlotte, Ellie, Candice, Maria, Kelly and Paulo strutted arm in arm down the steps onto the main floor of the night club. As they did so, heads turned in their direction. And rightly so, as the six friends had never looked better. They were all groomed perfectly to within an inch of their lives, not a single fake nail or lock of hair was out of place.

From her high vantage point at the top of the staircase, Charlotte scanned the room for other people in their social circle, and then her eyes fell on Chris, causing her breath to catch in her throat. She'd never seen him looking so incredible!

The wrestler was dressed in tight-fitting black jeans - complete with a chain hanging from his waist – and the black, silver pinstriped shirt, he'd brought with her a few days previously, when they'd visited the mall. With his short blonde hair slightly mussed, the shadow of stubble on his chin and the silver cross necklace she'd gotten him for Christmas around his neck, Chris' appearance caused Charlotte to swoon momentarily.

She grinned, bounded down the stairs, across the dance floor and straight into his arms.

"Chrissy," she squealed in delight, as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Are you drunk already, Princess?" Chris inquired with a smirk.

"Maybe just a little," she giggled in reply, as he spun her around and then placed her lightly back on her feet.

The wrestler then took a step backwards, and appraised her outfit thoughtfully.

"Damn, you look so hot," he said finally, his lips curling into a lustful grin.

"And so do you, sexy," Charlotte returned, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into a passionate kiss.

"Oh, get a room, will you?" someone teased from behind the couple.

Charlotte and Chris broke apart sheepishly, to find Orton smirking at them.

"Hey, Randy. Did you have a nice holiday?" Charlotte inquired, as her friends came to join them.

"Yeah, thanks," returned Orton, and then his eyes fell on the others. "And here's Ellie, looking just as good as her sister."

The younger blonde blushed and giggled.

"Ok, you can quit that right now. You are not hooking up with my baby sister," warned Charlotte through narrowed eyes.

"I was just paying the lady a compliment," countered Orton.

"Whatever," muttered Charlotte, turning back to her boyfriend. "Chris, this is my sister Ellie."

"A pleasure to meet you at last," replied Chris, embracing the beauty student.

"Yeah, it's great to meet you too," returned Ellie, before turning to whisper to Charlotte. "Oh my god, he is hot!"

"I know!" grinned Charlotte, wrapping her arms around Chris' waist and playfully tugging on his belt.

Soon enough, the small gathering of people were joined by others – including Cena, Jeff, Matt, Edge and Carlito.

The companions then fell into exchanging New Year's wishes and news about their holidays, as rounds of drinks were brought for one group of friends from another.

Charlotte bopped her head happily to the music, still standing with her arms around Chris' waist, as his draped casually an arm over her shoulder.

"You ok, Princess?" he inquired, whispering so close to her ear that she felt his hot breath tickle her neck.

The sensation made the blonde's body tingle with desire, and she felt a lustful heat building inside of herself.

"Uh-huh," she replied, brushing her lips against his cheek, and loving the feel of his stubble against the sensitive area of skin. "Just thinking is all."

"About?" questioned Chris, a thoughtful look in his crystal blue eyes.

"What I'm going to do to you when we get back to the hotel later," she whispered seductively.

"Go on," he prompted, running his hands up the back of her legs to cup her butt.

"Well, I envisioned you and me, completely naked," Charlotte began slowly, looking directly at the wrestler and enjoying seeing his eyes cloud over with lust.

"Yes?" he returned, urging her to continue.

However, before the blonde could utter another word, Ellie bounded over to them, with a huge grin on her face.

"Come on, y'all, come and dance with us," she insisted. "You can't hide away on New Year's Eve."

Charlotte looked sheepishly between Chris and Ellie, and then shrugged.

"You sure you don't mind, baby?" she asked her boyfriend.

"Not at all, Princess. Come on, let's get out there and have some fun," returned Chris, although the slight frustration in his voice gave away the fact that he'd been having much more fun as they were moments ago.

The blonde grinned, took a hold of the Canadian's hand and mouthed, "I promise, I'll make it up to you later."

"You'd better," he replied facetiously.

Together, Charlotte, Chris and Ellie made their way to the dance floor and joined the others. The make up artist looked around to see who else was there, and grinned to herself when she saw Jeff and Paulo dancing wildly together, her gaze then fell on Candice and Orton, who were doing some sort of strange rendition of the Charleston completely out of sync with the music.

The blonde shook her head, giggled to herself and then continued dancing.

Soon, the group were joined by Maria, Josh and Cena. As soon as Ellie's eyes fell on Cena, she smiled impishly, and then made her way over to the wrestler.

"She's determined to have her way with him, isn't she?" Chris whispered to Charlotte.

"Uh-huh," Charlotte replied, then added with a grin. "It runs in the family. We always get what we want in the end."

The wrestler chuckled, and then pulled the make up artist forcefully towards his chest.

"So do I," he insisted with a sexy growl, before his mouth devoured hers.

Charlotte swooned in the embrace, almost considering leaving the party and heading back to Chris' hotel room that instant. Her whole body felt as though it was on fire, and a tingling sensation was quickly spreading from the tips of her toes to the roots of her hair.

However, suddenly, Charlotte was startled out of her lustful haze by a loud shriek.

The couple broke apart, and whipped around just in time too see Melina tip a glass of wine all over John Morrison's head.

"You bastard!" she screamed, before uttering a string of profanities in Spanish, then turning on her heel and storming off.

"Here we go again," commented Charlotte with a roll of her eyes. "I think I better go and make sure she's ok. I'll be back soon, alright?"

Chris looked at his girlfriend with puppy-dog eyes, pleading with her to stay.

"Baby, what type of friend would I be if I just let Melina storm off on her own?" protested Charlotte. "I've gotta make sure she doesn't do something stupid."

"Can't someone else?" pouted Chris, sticking out his bottom lip.

The blonde looked around hesitantly, but all of her friends seemed busy doing something else, and were unaware that the Latina had stormed off. She then looked at the wrestler sheepishly, and he nodded his head.

"Ok. But you really owe me for this," he teased.

"Baby, when we get back to your hotel room, I'll make it all up to you," she whispered seductively, before turning to catch up with Melina.

Charlotte found the diva in the restroom, angrily brushing out her hair.

"What happened?" she inquired cautiously, knowing the other women had quite at temper.

"John Morrison and that diva search tramp Eve Torres are what happened," raged Melina. "I'd suspected they'd been seeing each other for a few months now, and then just, I catch them making out."

"Oh," replied Charlotte meekly, not quite sure what else to say.

Backstage, Morrison had a worse reputation with the ladies than Orton, and the make up artist often wondered why the diva continued dating him, when he played around so frequently.

"I mean, can you believe it. It's one thing to be screwing that tart behind my back, but in full view of everyone is just a step too far," Melina went on, the volume of her voice rising a notch.

"At least you found out now, before he got her pregnant or something," assured Charlotte, hoping this might help pacify the diva a little.

However, it didn't, and turned out to be the worst thing she could have said.

"Oh, no, no, no. If John Morrison ever dared get another woman pregnant behind my back, he wouldn't live to see the birth of the child," screamed Melina.

"I'm sorry. All I meant was..." Charlotte trailed off, surprised to see the Latina had now started to cry. "Oh Mel, it'll be ok," she comforted, wrapping her arms around Melina and rocking her gently.

"No it won't," sniffed Melina. "I'll take Johnny back, he'll promise me he'll never cheat again, and then a few months later he'll screw some other tramp. It's the way it always works, I should be used to it by now."

"Why do you stay with him, then?" Charlotte inquired carefully. "You deserve better than that."

"Because I love him. And I keep hoping that if he sees how much I love him, he'll change."

"Oh, honey," sighed Charlotte, stroking the other woman's hair. She'd never been with a guy who'd cheated, nor had she loved someone so much that she'd turn a blind eye to infidelity. However, the blonde still sympathised with the Latina. No one deserved to have their heart broken.

"I'll be ok now," Melina sniffed finally. "It'll all work out, you'll see. I'll go back out there, have a few more drinks, a good dance, and everything will be all better."

"Are you sure?" Charlotte asked sceptically, not feeling convinced by the Latina's insistence.

"Uh-huh," assured Melina. "Besides, who needs John, right? There's plenty of other hot guys out there for me to hook up with."

"That's the spirit. Don't settle for John, when there could be the perfect guy out there, who will treat you how you deserve."

"Yeah, you're right," agreed Melina, with a half grin. "And thanks for coming to check that I was ok, Charlie. I really appreciate it."

"Any time," returned Charlotte genuinely. While she and the diva weren't more than what you'd call acquaintances, the blonde couldn't simply stand by and do nothing when someone else was in pain.

As the Latina exited the restroom, the make up artist turned to the mirror and checked her appearance. Making sure her hair was still perfectly styled, the blonde reapplied her lips gloss. Then, she spritzed herself with the strawberry scented body spray she had in her purse, and headed back out to find her friends.

As Charlotte emerged from the restroom, she felt hot hands on her waist, and before she could even turn to look who it was, someone had spun her around and pulled her into a passionate kiss.

The blonde could tell from the taste of the persons lips, their coarse stubble on her chin and the overwhelming scent of cologne, who's tongue had just slipped into her mouth.

As a strong hand grabbed her butt, and pushed her against the wall, she felt a tantalizing tug on her hair.

"When can we get the hell out of here and back to my hotel room?" Chris growled lustfully, as he broke away from the kiss and trailed his hot lips down neck.

"Easy tiger," she replied, pushing her hands against his hard chest as she tried to catch her breath. "It hasn't even turned midnight yet, and I still have plenty of Champagne left to drink."

"But, you just look so damn hot in that outfit," pouted Chris. "That I can't wait to get you alone."

"Does this make up for it?" Charlotte inquired running her nail along his unshaven jaw, then across to his mouth. Slowly, she allowed her finger to part his lips, as he took the digit into his mouth and sucked it gently. Then, using the hook of her nail, she pulled his face towards hers and her mouth descended on his.

"A little," returned Chris, as she broke the embrace a stepped back slightly. "But I think I may need another reminder."

"I'm afraid you're going to have to wait a short while longer," she informed with a half smile. "I have dancing to do."

And then taking another step backwards, Charlotte grabbed the bulge in Chris' jeans, then walked away.

"Have fun," she called over her shoulder with an impish grin.

The wrestler stared after her with a mixture of frustration and lust on his face.

As Charlotte strutted over to the bar, she smirked to herself, loving the effect she was having on Chris. She knew it was slightly unfair to tease him so much, especially as someone always seemed to appear and cut short their moments alone together. However, the blonde lost all sense of what was fair, when she saw that lustful look appear in his blue eyes.

As the make up artist ordered herself a glass of Champagne, she felt a presence behind her, and turned around to see Ellie grinning at her.

"Alright, sis. Having a good time?" she inquired.

"Fuck yes!" giggled Ellie. "I've just been getting hot and sweaty on the dance floor with John Cena. Life could not get any more perfect!"

Charlotte laughed and threw her head back in amusement, as she downed her glass of Champagne.

"Are you?" asked Ellie. "I've hardly seen you since we got here."

"Yeah, I'm having fun," answered Charlotte truthfully. Melina's outburst and interruptions on her time alone with Chris non withstanding, she really was having a great night.

"I bet you are," teased Ellie. "I saw you and Chris sneaking off earlier."

"What?" questioned Charlotte innocently. "We just wanted a bit of time alone."

"Well, I can't say that I blame you," giggled Ellie, slurping down the second glass of Champagne she'd since joining her sister.

As the siblings continued chatting and drinking, they were joined by Candice, Maria and Kelly.

"Hey, honey," said Maria, draping her arms around the make up artist's shoulders. "Where have you been all night? I haven't seen you since we arrived."

"She's been hiding away with lover boy," teased Ellie.

"Oh, have we now?" inquired Kelly with a raised eyebrow.

"Been having fun?" added Candice.

Charlotte giggled, and shook her head in amusement.

"Yes we have," she replied. "Lots."

The five females burst into fits of uncontrollable laughter, as the divas took seats along side the bar.

They remained sitting, aside from the dance floor, for a little while longer, all of them enjoying a few glasses of Champagne each.

Then, as Christina Aguilera's _Genie in a Bottle_ began to play, Maria leapt up in excitement.

"We have so gotta dance," she insisted. "I love this song."

"Maria, you love almost every song," teased Ellie with a playful smile.

"Well, yes, but this one really is one of my favourites," claimed Maria.

"Ok then," agreed Charlotte, as she and the others rose from their stools.

Arm in arms, the five friends made their way to the dance floor, giggling excitedly as they did so. Then, still holding onto each other, they began dancing to Christina Aguilera's début single.

_I feel like I've been locked up tight  
For a century of lonely nights  
Waiting for someone  
To release me _

The melody began, as the five females started getting into the rhythm of the music.

_You're licking your lips and blowing kisses my way  
But that don't mean I'm gonna give it away  
Baby, baby, baby  
(baby, baby, baby) _

The song continued, as Charlotte swayed her hips seductively.

_Oh whoa...  
My body's saying let's go  
Oh whoa...  
But my heart is saying no (no) _

Suddenly, Charlotte felt hot hands on her waist, as someone pulled her closer to them, and they got into the groove of the music together.

Knowing exactly who it was, the blonde smirked to herself, and began to grind her hips against the person's thighs. Then, she felt burning kisses on her neck, and she swooned. _  
_  
_I'm a genie in a bottle, baby  
Gotta rub me the right way, honey  
I'm a genie in a bottle, baby  
Come, come, come and let me out _

With almost desperate actions, the other dancer span Charlotte around, and then Chris' lips descended on hers. The blonde felt the heat pool between her legs, as Chris cupped her butt, and they moved together to the music.

_Hormones racing at the speed of light  
But that don't mean it's gonna be tonight  
Baby, baby, baby  
(baby, baby, baby) _

_Oh yes it will be, _Charlotte thought to herself, countering the songs lyrics. She honestly thought she'd died and gone to heaven, as Chris' tongue found it's way inside her mouth, and he tugged gently on her hair. If he kept this up, they'd be leaving the club before the clock even struck midnight. Correction, they'd be leaving now!

_Oh whoa...  
My body's saying let's go  
Oh whoa...  
But my heart is saying no (no) _

_No, no, no. My heart is saying let's go too, _Charlotte argued with the song's lyrics. Her body now felt like a thousand volts of electricity was coursing through her veins, as the kiss became more and more passionate. Chris had a tight hold on her waist, pulling her so closely to him that she could feel his heart racing.

Then, as the song finished, the wrestler took a small step backwards, trailing soft fiery kisses down her jaw and to her neck.

"Baby, now that's pay back for you teasing me earlier," Chris informed with an amused grin.

"But, but," Charlotte protested, gawking like a gold-fish.

The wrestler smirked, winked at Charlotte and then strode off, leaving the blonde to stare after him with a mixture of frustration and lust etched onto her face.

The make up artist shook her head in exasperated amusement and decided it was high time she had another drink. That little display out there on the dance floor had gotten her feeling very hot under the collar – as well as in other places – and she needed something to cool her down.

After ordering a glass of Champagne, Charlotte chanced a look at the large clock that was hanging behind the DJ's booth. It was half-elven, meaning only thirty more minutes before the new year began.

And what a year it had been. In the last three months alone, she'd been through some extraordinary highs and lows.

One disastrous date after another, cumulating in hooking up with an IT consultant called Ryan, who had turned out to be married.

Her constant battle of wills with Beth Phoenix, which had led to them having a huge fight, and then mediation sessions that had revealed why the diva had such a problem with her.

Her father being put forwards for next year's Mississippi footballing Hall of Fame, her mother hanging up the keys to the salon for good, and Ellie making perfect grades at beauty school.

Maria meeting and then falling in love with Josh, Paulo falling for Jeff Hardy, while Candice and Kelly remained contently single, happy to watch the romances of their friends blossomed.

And then there was Chris. Charlotte hadn't even imagined on the night of Cyber Sunday, when she'd turned up for the pay per view, that she was going to have a chance meeting with the guy of her dreams. The blonde laughed to herself, thinking how real life had turned into one of her romance novels. However, that wasn't to say their relationship had all been plain sailing. Despite the remarkable friendship they'd formed after only hours of knowing each other, she had remained blind to her true feeling for Chris for weeks on end. Then there was Abby, who had been so surly when Charlotte had first met her, that she'd wanted to run in the opposite direction. Then finally, when she'd realized she was in love with Chris, she'd overheard his conversation with Layla and gotten a completely wrong idea from it. Charlotte laughed at her own stupidity, wondering if she and Chris would have ever gotten together if her friends hadn't intervened when they had – bless their hearts. But, just like her romance novels, she'd found her perfect happy ending at last.

With a delighted grin, Charlotte looked back up at the clock. It was now seven minutes until midnight; time to be finding her friends.

The blonde walked with determination across the dance floor, to where those closest to her were gathered around. Her heart thumping in her chest, she spotted Chris chatting with Edge, and bounded over to her boyfriend.

"It's nearly midnight," she commented, as he wrapped his arms tightly around her.

"Uh-huh," said Chris. "And what a year. Edge and I were just talking about my return to the company."

"Yeah, and to think, if you hadn't come back we might never have met," replied Charlotte.

"I knew when I started writing my book that a piece of my heart was missing by being away from the wrestling business," returned Chris. "I guess I just never realized something else was missing too until I found you, Princess."

Charlotte blushed, and brushed her lips against his, as Edge made a disgusted face and strode away from the couple.

Suddenly, the music stopped, and the TV screen around the night club flashed on, showing the count-down in New York's Time Square.

"Ten," the TV presenter announced.

Charlotte looked around the club, and was amused to see Melina and Morrison had seemed to have made up their differences, their arms now around each other and their temples touching. Charlotte just hoped this coming year would bring the couple more luck than the past one has, and that Morrison would be able to see how much Melina loved him and stay faithful.

Charlotte's gaze then fell on Beth Phoenix, who was over by the club's plush leather couches, sitting on the lap of Smackdown announcer Justin Roberts, and she couldn't help but smile slightly to herself. She and Beth would never be friends, but she was happy the diva had found someone to share New Year's Eve with.

"Nine," the TV presenter continued.

Charlotte continued looking around, and spotted Edge embracing an attractive brunette, Charlotte recognized as Karen Sanderson from the Smackdown creative team. Since Edge had been linked with Vickie Guerrero, Charlotte assumed he went after women in a position of power, and figured this just proved that guess to be correct.

"Eight," the TV presenter announced.

Charlotte then gazed across the room to see Jeff and Paulo locked passionately at the lips. She grinned delightedly, thrilled that her friend had finally gotten the man he wanted. She hoped now that a solid relationship would form between Paulo and Jeff, and that the couple would be very happy together.

"Seven," the TV presenter went on.

With an amused grin, Charlotte carried on looking around the club, and her gaze fell on Kelly, who shockingly enough, was embracing Ken Kennedy. She chuckled to herself, never imagining her friend with the wrestler, but all the same delighted that Kelly had hooked up. _Who know, maybe she'll end up marrying him and become Kelly Kelly Kennedy Kennedy,_ Charlotte thought to herself, and then burst out laughing at the absurdity of it all.

"Six," the TV presenter continued.

Charlotte stopped staring at Kelly and Kennedy, and then her line of vision fell on Candice, who was making out with Randy Orton. Charlotte shook her head, and laughed with amusement. The couple had been goofing around and flirting with each other all evening, so it really was no shock that they'd ended up kissing at midnight. _Ah, Randy and Candy, _Charlotte thought to herself._ What a pair you are!_

"Five," the TV presenter announced.

With one last glance at Candy and Randy, Charlotte turned her head to see Maria and Josh kissing passionately. She sighed to herself, thinking what an adorably cute couple they made. It was glaringly obvious just how much Josh adored Maria, and Charlotte knew from the things her friend had said, that Maria felt just the same.

"Four," the TV presenter continued.

Tearing her eyes away from Maria and Josh, Charlotte thought about the two other couples who were important to her, but not here at the moment. She knew for a fact, that at this very second, her mum and dad would be sitting together on the back porch sharing a few glasses of Champagne. Charlotte just hoped that she'd be as happy as her parents after forty years of marriage.

"Three," the TV presenter went on.

Then Charlotte thought of CJ and Jeanie, who would most likely be seeing in the New Year in their new house, and looking forwards to the twelve months to come, when after almost twenty years together they'd finally be making their relationship 'official' by getting married.

"Two," the TV presenter continued.

Charlotte looked around the night club one final time, and was delighted to see Ellie and Cena locked in a passionate embrace. She smiled to herself, pleased that her sister had finally gotten the man she wanted. _Who knows, maybe they'll start dating now_, she mused silently.

"One," the TV presenter announced. "Happy New Year's to all our viewers watching around the world!"

Charlotte gazed lovingly into Chris' crystal blue eyes, feeling her heart explode with joy. Had she ever been this happy in her entire life? Well, if she had, she couldn't remember it.

Chris smiled impishly at her, and then his lips descended on his, and she swooned in his arms. As the kiss became more passionate, and his tongue entered her mouth, Charlotte though to herself, _No, I've never been this happy before_.

TBC...

* * *

**A/N2: **That's it guys, one chapter left! (sob)


	28. Deliciously Perfect

**Author's Notes: **Firstly, I'd like to thank **Disco Inferno1, ImissPadfoot, Super T, purplefeather21, Medieval Mystic, Rheya-Goddess, Cassymae, littleone999, WWESupernatural102292, Doulykhamsandwich, Southern Rock Junkie, Inday, Cass, LilyBella, Fozzy-Floozy, Westfan, Valkyrie MISSILE, jada951, Faxness-rulz, nicole, chnoelle89, karategirl, XxMAKExXitorbreakitXx, Alkira Sonoma, AshMattXoXo, pr0udpnaii x33, SummerRain173, sweetantidote, jeffhardyfan722, annskieesofresh, extremeshan81, The Niki Reid, sweetortonlover86, Wildflower082, SandraSmit19, alana2awesome, shadeana395 **and** Shiroi Moon ** for each and every review you've left for this story. Whether you only reviewed once or regularly, all of your comments were greatly appreciated. Feedback like I've received for this story truly means the world to me, and it's what makes writing fan-fiction worthwhile. I'll never find enough words to express how much your continuous support has meant to me. You're all awesome !!

If I've missed anyone off of the above list, please trust that it wasn't intentional. I do appreciate the feedback you've given me, it's just hard to catch each and every person who reviewed.

Additionally, I'd like to thank everyone who put me/ this story on your author alert/ favourite story alert list. Whether you reviewed or not, the fact you liked this story enough to favourite it is greatly appreciated!

Finally, huge, massive eternal thanks go to the wonderful Gin and Karen who have helped me with every step of this story, either by checking it though for mistakes/ plot holes, knocking ideas around with me, or just generally listen to me ramble on MSN. Both you girls are amazing, and I'm honoured to call you my friends.

**Warning:** This chapter contains mature, explicit content, that isn't suitable for readers under the age of sixteen. Though, if you'd like a censored version, I'm sure I can arrange something. (Why you'd want to though, is beyond me! )

And, with the long a/n over, may I present to you the final chapter of 'There All Along'. I hope y'all enjoy it, and thanks for coming along on the ride with me!

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-eight:** **Deliciously Perfect**

"One," the TV presenter announced. "Happy New Year's to all our viewers watching around the world!"

Charlotte gazed lovingly into Chris' crystal blue eyes, feeling her heart explode with joy. Had she ever been this happy in her entire life? Well, if she had, she couldn't remember it.

Chris smiled impishly at her, and then his lips descended on his, and she swooned in his arms. As the kiss became more passionate, and his tongue entered her mouth, Charlotte thought to herself, _No, I've never been this happy before._

As the couple remained locked at the lips, and their embrace became more heated, cheers of celebration rang out throughout the club, as friends wished each other a 'Happy New Year's'.

However, for Charlotte, everything that was going on around her ceased to exist, and she was on a whole other planet. Chris' hands were now holding onto her waist so tightly that she could feel his nails digging into the flesh slightly, and the sensation caused her to quiver with desire.

Allowing her own hands to run up his arms, and then around his neck, Charlotte pulled Chris even closer to her, and felt his heart racing against hers.

Charlotte just knew if they remained this way for a moment longer, she would be reduced to a puddle on the floor, but the kiss was just too deliciously perfect to break away from.

All night evening, they had been teasing each other, almost to the point of frustration, and it was only serving to heighten their lust. One thing was for sure, when they finally did leave the club, it was going to be a night to remember.

Finally, the couple broke apart, and Chris gazed at Charlotte with such a look of animalistic passion that her knees all but gave way.

"Now can we please get out of here and back to my hotel room," he growled sexily in her ear. "It's gone midnight, and I don't think I can wait a minute longer."

"Sure thing," Charlotte replied huskily, her voice etched with lust. "Let me just say good night to the others and grab my coat."

"Ok," agreed Chris. "Don't be too long thought."

"I won't," she promised.

Then, leaving another trail of hot kisses along his jaw, Charlotte turned to locate her friends.

She found Ellie first, now sitting together with Cena on one of the night club's plush leather couches.

"Happy New Year's, Ellie," she greeted, before adding, "And you too, John."

"Thanks, and Happy New Year to you too," returned Ellie, with a Cheshire cat like grin.

"Yeah, you too," added Cena.

Charlotte then lowered her head, and whispered in her sister's ear where the wrestler couldn't hear, "Chris and I are leaving now, and I won't be coming back to our room, so enjoy yourself with Cena."

"Oh, I will," insisted Ellie with an impish smile. "Have a great time, and I'll see you at some point tomorrow."

"You sure will," returned Charlotte, now standing up again. "Good night(,) John."

"Night, Charlie," replied Cena. "I'll see you soon."

Charlotte nodded her head, waved at the couple and then turned to find the remainder of her friends.

Thankfully, she located Jeff and Paulo sitting not too far away, their arms around each other, as the wrestler rested his head on the Latino's shoulder.

"Hey, guys," she greeted. "Happy New Year's."

"Happy New Year's, doll," returned Paulo with a contented sigh.

"Yeah, Happy New Year's," added Jeff, smiling widely.

"Chris and I are leaving now, so I thought I'd come and say good night," she continued.

"Alright, honey. Have fun, and don't do anything I wouldn't," replied Paulo with a smirk.

"Oh, I have every intention of doing plenty you wouldn't," teased Charlotte in reply, causing both Jeff and Paulo to laugh.

"Chris is in for some night, huh?" commented Jeff.

"If I have my way, yes, he is," assured Charlotte.

"Well, don't keep lover boy waiting any longer," insisted Paulo. "I'll catch you some time tomorrow."

"Uh-huh. Y'all enjoy the rest of your night," she replied.

"We will," returned Jeff, gently caressing Paulo's arm.

Charlotte grinned at the couple, and then with one last wink, she turned to locate the others.

Maria, Candice and Kelly all proved to be a little harder to find for Charlotte, but eventually she tracked them down.

Much to her amusement, Kelly was still with Ken Kennedy, and the couple were chatting together at the bar.

"Hey," Charlotte greeted as she made her way over to them. "Happy New Year's."

"You too, babe," returned Kelly, as she hopped off her stool to embrace Charlotte.

"Yeah, Happy New Year's, Charlotte," added Kennedy, giving the make up artist a beaming smile.

"I thought I'd just come and say good-bye, as Chris and I are leaving now," she informed.

"Alright, babe. Have a good night, and try to behave yourself," teased Kelly, with an amused grin.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," insisted Charlotte innocently, before bursting into laughter. "I'll see you tomorrow, ok, honey?"

"Uh-huh," agreed Kelly. "I'll catch you when we're not so hung-over."

Again, Charlotte laughed and shook her head in amusement.

"Good night, y'all," she called.

"Night night," replied Kennedy.

With one final smile at the couple, Charlotte turned in search of her remaining two friends. After a short while looking around the club, she located Josh and Maria – who were just collecting their coats from the cloak room.

Taking the opportunity to grab her own jacket, Charlotte jumped into the queue along with her friends.

"Happy New Year, y'all," she greeted, wrapping her arms around Maria's shoulders.

"You too, Charlie," returned Maria, stifling a tired yawn.

"Are y'all heading back to the hotel?" inquired Charlotte.

"Uh-huh," replied Maria, before lowering her head to whisper. "It's high time I taught Josh to stop being so gentlemanly."

Charlotte laughed, and threw her head back in amusement, "Yeah, I was having similar thoughts myself," she confessed.

"Oh yeah, you still haven't had the chance, what with 'Aunt Flow' in town, have you?" questioned Maria, smirking slightly.

"No, and let me tell you how frustrating that's been," sighed Charlotte. "But thankfully, everything is sorted now."

"Good to hear," agreed Maria with an amused smile, as she handed over her cloak room token and received her jacket. "Hopefully, we'll both have pretty interesting nights."

"Uh-huh," returned Charlotte, collecting her own coat. "Right, I best go and find Candy before I go. I'll catch you tomorrow."

"Yeah, night night, Charlie," replied Maria. "Have a good night."

"Thanks, y'all have a good time too," called Charlotte, with a nod to Josh and Maria, as she turned on her heel and strode off to locate Candice.

After a little more searching, Charlotte found her last friend on the dance floor with Orton. The couple were once again performing a strange rendition of the Charleston.

"Y'all are insane," Charlotte announced as she approached her friends.

"Yeah, but you love it," commented Orton facetiously.

"Whatever you wanna believe, Randy," teased Charlotte.

"Hey, come dance with us, Charlie," insisted Candice, grabbing her friend's hand.

"Nah-ha. Chris and I are leaving in a minute, I just wanted to drop by sand say 'good-night'," informed Charlotte.

"Spoilt sport," pouted Candice as she stuck out her tongue.

"Come off it, you won't miss me now you've got Randy as a dancing partner," assured Charlotte.

"Yeah, baby, if Charlie wants to be a stick in the mud, I'll keep you entertained," promised Orton, with a smirk, as he snaked his arms around Candice's waist.

Charlotte shook her head in amusement and laughed. "See, this is why I'm leaving now, so I don't have to witness y'all getting it on," she joked.

"No, you're leaving now so _you_ can get it on," teased Orton.

"Ok, you got me there," confessed Charlotte with a sheepish grin. "But you can't blame me, right?"

"Nope, Chris is a hottie, so go get him, tiger," instructed Candice, with an amused smile.

"Oh, I will," insisted Charlotte with an impish grin. "Right, I'll see y'all tomorrow. Night, Randy and Candy."

"Don't you ever refer to us as that again," Candice called after her friend, as she shook her head at the lameness of the pun.

Finally, Charlotte had said good-night to all of her friends, so she returned to find Chris, who was near the bar chatting to Edge and the Smackdown writer, Karen Sanderson.

Charlotte nodded at the other woman, not sure what to say as they'd never met before, and rested her head on Chris' shoulder.

"I'm ready to leave whenever you are," she informed, as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Alright, I'm all set," returned Chris. "I was just arranging to meet up and have a drink with Edge."

"Oh, cool," she replied, and then turned her gaze to the other wrestler. "Happy New Year's Edge, you too Karen."

"Thanks, you too," said Edge.

"Yeah, thanks," added Karen, looking at Charlotte and smiling warmly.

"I'll see you on Thursday, man," Chris said to Edge as he clapped the other Canadian on the back.

"Uh-huh, see you then, bro," returned Edge, before turning to Charlotte and grinning at her. "You're more than welcome to join us, by the way, but we'll probably be talking about guy stuff all night."

"As riveting as I find discussions about hockey, cars and hot women, I think I'll pass, if you don't mind," Charlotte said, declining the offer. "But thanks for asking."

"No problem," assured Edge with a smile. "I guess I'll see you around then, Charlie. Happy New Year and enjoy the rest of your night."

"Thanks, you too," Charlotte returned, before adding. "Good night, Karen, nice meeting you."

"Yeah, you too, Charlotte, see you around," Karen replied with a smile.

With one final nod towards Edge, Chris took Charlotte's hands and lacing his fingers though hers, they made their way out of the club and into the cold night air.

When they got outside, Charlotte shivered, despite the fact she was wearing a thick winter coat.

"Come here, you," insisted Chris, and Charlotte gladly walked into his open arms, as he rested his chin on the top of her head. "Any warmer now?"

"Uh-huh, a little," murmured Charlotte, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Don't worry, Princess. I'll get you all hot once we're back at the hotel," Chris whispered huskily in her ear.

"I can't wait," Charlotte purred in reply, as she reached up on her tip toes to press her lips passionately against his.

Finally a line of available cabs appeared in the street, all of them eager to find New Year's Eve party goers that they could charge double time.

The couple entered a taxi, told the driver where they were heading and then it took off.

As they made their way across town, and back to the hotel, Charlotte longingly ran her fingers through Chris' hair, as he trailed light kisses across her jaw and down to her neck.

By the time the cab pulled to a halt, and they'd reached the hotel, Charlotte and Chris were locked in a passionate embrace, and the taxi driver had to clear his throat loudly to let them know they'd arrived.

"Sorry, man," Chris muttered sheepishly, as he handed the driver a fistful of bills.

The cab driver merely shrugged and gladly took his payment. He couldn't careless about his customers making out on the back seat, when he was charging them 97 for the journey.

Blushing slightly, Charlotte took Chris' out stretched hand, as he helped her out of the cab, and then they walked into the hotel and made their way to the elevator.

A bubble of excitement was forming in Charlotte's stomach, along with the heat of desire between her legs.

The whole night had been like foreplay, with covetous looks, stolen moments alone, and lingering touches through the confines of their clothing.

Already, Charlotte had reached a state of arousal she'd never experienced before, and they weren't even in the hotel room yet.

As the couple stepped into the elevator, Chris grabbed Charlotte tightly around the waist, and pulled her forcefully towards him.

"Thank god I've got you alone at last," he growled sexily in her eyes, before leaving a trail of hot kisses from her lips, across her jaw and then down her neck.

Charlotte swooned in the embrace, feeling her legs turn to jelly underneath her, as her heart raced with desire.

As the elevator doors slid open, Chris scooped Charlotte up into his arms and strode along the corridor to his hotel room. Single handedly, he slipped the key card into the lock, kicked the door open, carried Charlotte across the room and then dropped her lightly on the bed.

Charlotte giggled as she bounced into the air a little, before she pulled herself up off the bed and hung her coat over the back of the chair.

Chris threw his jacket off too, and then after kicking his shoes under the bed, he lay back on it lazily with his head resting on his folded arms.

"Come here," he insisted, already his eyes clouding over with desire.

Charlotte stood at the foot of the bed, and grinned impishly as she shook her head.

"Nah-ha. I have a far better suggestion," she announced, keeping her eyes solely fixed on his.

Slowly and seductively, she propped her foot on the end of the bed, and then deliberately taking her time, she began to unzip her leather boots, making sure she caressed her thighs with every calculated movement.

Chris watched her, transfixed, as she slid the footwear off her legs, barely unable to stop himself from pouncing on her right then, but too curious about what she was going to do next.

Keeping her eyes locked on Chris', Charlotte took a few steps backwards, as she purposefully unfastened her cat-suit and almost lazily slid it down her body, before daintily stepping out of it.

Chris watched her in wide-eyed amazement, mesmerized by her every movement, as she turned her back on him and unfastened her hair, so that the golden tresses cascaded down her back.

Turning to face him again, Charlotte shook her mane of sun-kissed hair out, so that it fluttered around her shoulders.

Now standing in just a matching red, lacy bra and panties set, Charlotte grinned impishly, and snaked her way up the bed, to meet Chris with a passionate kiss full on his lips.

"Wow," he breathed, his voice etched with lust, as she clawed her nails – almost, but not quite, harshly – through his hair.

Smiling mischievously, Charlotte carefully unfastened the buttons of Chris' shirt, before pulling it off, and allowing it to flutter to the floor. Then, still keeping her eyes fixed on his, she lovingly ran her hands down his hard, smooth torso, until she reached the top of his jeans.

Chris smiled at Charlotte, and then slowly unfastened his belt, and the buttons on his jeans, sliding out of them and letting the garment fall, discarded to the ground.

With another impish grin, Charlotte snaked her way back down the bed, so that she was sitting besides Chris' knees. Looking away briefly, to hide the blush colouring her cheeks, she ran her hands up his thighs.

The feel of the taught muscles underneath her finger tips almost caused Charlotte to swoon, but she remained focused on what she was doing, and allowed her hands to grasp the waistband of Chris' boxers, before meticulously pulling them off, and casting them to the floor.

Looking back up, and directly into Chris' eyes, she found them now completely clouded with lust, before they fluttered closed, and he let out a deep sigh of longing.

With a satisfied smirk that she was having her desired effect, Charlotte lowered her head and allowed her lips to curl around Chris' hardening erection, causing him to quiver under her touch.

With deliberate slowness, she allowed her tongue to caress the shaft, as Chris' thigh muscles tightened under her finger tips.

Then, quickening her rhythm, Charlotte took his full hardness into her mouth, and sucked gently.

Chris grabbed a handful of her hair, and forced his erection deeper into her mouth.

"Damn, woman," he growled, as she nipped the tip gently.

Charlotte looked up at him and grinned wickedly, before slowly working her lips up to the head of the shaft, and quickened her pace again.

Keeping a deliberate rhythm, Charlotte continued to swirl her tongue around Chris' erection, until she felt his thigh muscles tighten, and she knew he wasn't far off climax.

Slowing her movements, Charlotte ran her lips up and down the hardness, until Chris called out with frenzied desire.

"Hot damn, Princess," he sighed, exhaling deeply.

Again, Charlotte looked at him though lust clouded eyes and smiled at him, before snaking her way back up the bed and positioning herself directly in his lap.

She shifted slightly, and delicately removed her panties to drop them to the ground, as he reached up and unfastened her bra.

"You're so beautiful," Chris whispered huskily, as he pushed her golden tresses aside, to reveal her pert breasts.

Charlotte blushed, and turned her head away sheepishly, then shifting slightly again, she lowered herself onto his full hardness, and a small gasp of desire escaped her lips.

With deliberate movements, Charlotte gently rotated her hips backwards and forwards, as Chris reached his hands up to cup her breasts and his thumb caressed her nipples.

As Charlotte quickened her pace – making sure to grind the sensitive nub of nerve-endings against his pelvic bone – Chris' hands snaked down to her waist and gripped it tightly, forcing himself deeper into her, and setting a faster rhythm.

Charlotte threw her head back and moaned with pleasure, as Chris continued to force her down harder onto him. His hands were gripping her waist and the top of her ass so tightly now that she felt about to explode at any moment. Then, her eyes fluttered open and met his. Chris grinned at Charlotte in such a lustful and animalistic way that she swooned and her whole body turned to fire, as she felt the heat rising within her.

With a look of calculated deliberation, Chris lifted Charlotte off his lap, and span her around so that she was now kneeling on all fours, then he took hold of her waist tightly and entered her forcefully from behind.

"Oh my god," she murmured, biting down hard on her bottom lip.

With one hand splayed across her stomach, and the other reaching down for the delicate folds of skin between her legs, Chris pushed faster and deeper into Charlotte.

All Charlotte could do to stop herself crying out in frenzy as the feeling of fervour swept through her body was to continue biting down on her bottom lip, to the point where she almost drew blood.

Her every limb was now aching with ravenous wanting, and the room had ceased to exist, as she was transported to some ethereal dimension where nothing but burning pleasure prevailed.

Startling Charlotte from her lascivious haze, she felt a sharp slap on her ass cheeks. The action tipped Charlotte over the edge and she cried out with wanton ecstasy.

"Oh my dear lord," she breathed huskily, feeling her whole body quiver with pure, unadulterated rapture, as the waves of climax rippled from the tips of her toes to the root of her hair.

With his hands tightly gripping Charlotte's waist, Chris thrust into her a few more times, before he too found release and all but collapsed on top of her.

"Wow," he sighed deeply, his hot breath tickling her neck. "Just...wow."

Charlotte giggled, and rolled over to face him as they lay together at the foot of the bed, hardly caring at the moment about getting themselves into a more comfortable position.

"Tell me about it. I don't think I'll ever be able to feel my legs again," teased Charlotte, with a coy grin.

"You're amazing, you know that?" Chris whispered, as he brushed a tendril of hair from her sweat soaked forehead and kissed her earlobe.

Charlotte blushed, and turned her head away, unable to meet his gaze.

"I could say the same about you," she murmured sheepishly in reply. "That was pretty damn mind-blowing."

Chris smiled, and kissed her full on the lips, before propping himself up on his elbows and gazing directly into Charlotte's eyes.

"Happy New Year's, Princess," he said softly.

"Happy New Years, babe," she returned with a contented sigh.

The couple remained, lying lazily at the foot of the bed for a little while longer, until the urge to sleep and be in a more comfortable position overwhelmed them and they both crawled to the head of the bed and slid under the covers.

Charlotte rested her head on Chris' chest, as he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, her eyes fluttering closed.

"I love you," she whispered sleepily.

"I love you, too," he returned, kissing the top of her head gently and then allowing his eyes to drift shut, as they both fell into deep and contented slumber.

* * *

The sun-light peeking in through the blinds awoke the blonde-haired woman, and she lifted her head from where it rested on her bed companion's chest.

Charlotte allowed her eyes to travel up Chris' naked torso to his head. The wrestler was still sleeping deeply, and looked so peaceful, his eyes fluttering gently and his breathing relaxed.

With a contented sigh, the make up artist brushed her fingers through the Canadian's mussed hair.

After four years of searching for her Knight in shining armour, Charlotte had finally found what she'd been looking for – when in reality it had been there all along - and she couldn't be happier.

Grinning to herself, the blonde lay her head back down on Chris' chest, and snuggled deeper under the duvet, as the wrestler tightened his embrace around her waist.

"Hey, Princess," he murmured sleepily, his blue eyes fluttering open to focus on her.

"Hey yourself, Sexy," she purred back, brushing her lips against his.

"What time is it?" Chris inquired, sitting up a little.

Charlotte lifted her head, and gazed at the clock on the bedside table.

"Just after eight," she informed, stifling a yawn.

"Some night, last night, huh?" he commented, stretching his arms and placing them around her shoulders.

"Uh-huh," the blonde replied with a contented sigh. "The party was a lot of fun."

"I wasn't taking about the party," returned the Canadian with a playful grin.

"Ohhhh," whispered Charlotte, her eyes lighting up, as her hands slipped back under the covers to caress his smooth torso.

Then, wanting nothing more than that which she already had – a few extra hours in bed with the man she loved – the make up artist pulled the duvet tighter around them both.

**The End.**

* * *

**A/N 2: **As some of you may already know, I am working on a sequel for this story, though I don't honestly know when it'll be complete and ready to post. I'm currently working on three other stories also, so there's every likelihood I'll be posting one of those before the sequel. However, I promise, I will post it eventually, so hang in there with me, and I'll keep y'all updated!

Love and Creativity to you all,

wandaXmaximoff


End file.
